FAA outlines BVLOS and ADS‑B approach; committee explores remote towers and privacy tradeoffs
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Summary
Administrator Bedford described the FAA's BVLOS rulemaking progress, said drones would be required to detect ADS‑B Out signals and 'avoid and detect' aircraft, and defended making remote/digital towers part of a cautious deployment plan; members asked about drone right‑of‑way and ADS‑B mandates for small aircraft.
Lawmakers asked the FAA where the agency stands on beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight (BVLOS) drone rulemaking, right‑of‑way between unmanned and manned aircraft, ADS‑B mandates and the deployment of remote/digital towers.
Bedford said the FAA received roughly 3,000 comments on its BVLOS rulemaking and planned stakeholder sessions to reconcile concerns. On right‑of‑way, he said rule language contemplates corridors deconflicted from manned traffic and that the agency is working to ensure drones can "recognize aircraft that are transponding and take evasive action." He added that requiring transponders on drones presents design, weight and payload tradeoffs.
On ADS‑B mandates for traditional aircraft, Bedford said he favored solutions that could include low‑cost portable ADS‑B Out equivalents, noting privacy concerns for private pilots who resist continuous public tracking. Regarding remote/digital towers, Bedford said FAA is certifying technology in test sites (Bartow, FL; Winter Haven) and will deploy initial systems in a "crawl, walk, run" mode, with an initial aim for single‑runway deployments and an operational target in 2026.
Members asked about interference between drone operations and helicopters doing critical work (emergency, medical and utility operations), about how to block or protect sensitive airspace, and how to balance safety with cost and privacy concerns. The FAA said it will continue stakeholder engagement and technical work to address these tradeoffs.