FAA is looking to fill positions on Drone Advisory Committee

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking to fill positions on the Drone Advisory Committee. In the past, many (including me) have been critical that recreational and commercial drone pilots are under-represented on the DAC. This is a change top tip the balance more in our favor. Keep in mind that you will not be compensated for your time or travel expenses.

FAA is looking to fill positions on Drone Advisory Committee

In a post on Facebook, the FAA said:

Interested in nominating qualified candidates to serve on the FAA's Drone Advisory Committee? Submit nominations no later than 6 AM ET on Aug. 18 at the Federal Register. Learn more about the DAC on the FAA website.

Nominations must be received no later than 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 18, 2020. Nominations received after the above due date may be retained for evaluation for future DAC vacancies after all other nominations received by the due date have been evaluated and considered.

Description of Duties

The DAC acts solely in an advisory capacity and does not exercise program management responsibilities. Decisions directly affecting implementation of transportation policy will remain with the FAA Administrator and the Secretary of Transportation. The DAC duties include:

1. 1. Undertaking tasks only assigned by the FAA.
   2. Deliberating on and approving recommendations for assigned tasks in meetings that are open to the public.
   3. Responding to ad hoc informational requests from the FAA and/or providing input to the FAA on the overall DAC structure (including structure of the subcommittees and or task groups).

Membership: The FAA will submit recommendations for membership to the Secretary of Transportation, who will appoint members to the DAC. The membership must be fairly balanced in terms of points of view represented and the functions performed. The stakeholder groups represented on the DAC include the following:

1. 1. Airports and Airport Communities
   2. Labor (controllers, pilots)
   3. Local Government
   4. Navigation, Communication, Surveillance, and Air Traffic Management Capability Providers
   5. Research, Development, and Academia
   6. Traditional Manned Aviation Operators
   7. UAS Hardware Component Manufacturers
   8. UAS Manufacturers
   9. UAS Operators
   10. UAS Software Application Manufacturers
   11. Other

All DAC members serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of Transportation. The DAC will have no more than 35 members. Other membership criteria include:

1. 1. An appointment of up to two years.
   2. Service without charge and without government compensation. Representation of a particular interest of employment, Education, experience, or affiliation with a specific aviation related organization.
   3.  Ability to attend all DAC meetings (estimated three meetings per year).

Qualifications: Candidates must be in good public standing and currently serve as a member of their organization's core senior leadership team with the ability to make UAS-related decisions. In rare circumstances, membership will be granted to uniquely qualified individuals who do not meet this latter requirement. Members appointed solely for their individual expertise serve as Special Government Employees.

Materials to Submit: Candidates are required to submit, in full, the following materials to be considered for DAC membership. Failure to submit the required information may disqualify a candidate from the review process.

1. 1. A short biography of the nominee, including professional and academic credentials.
   2. A résumé or curriculum vitae, which must include relevant job experience, qualifications, as well as contact information (email, telephone, and mailing address).
   3. A one-page statement describing how the candidate will benefit the DAC, considering current membership and the candidate's unique perspective that will advance the conversation. This statement must also identify a primary and secondary interest to which the candidate's expertise best aligns. Finally, candidates should state their previous experience on Federal Advisory Committees and/or Aviation Rulemaking Committees (if any), their level of knowledge in their above stakeholder groups, and the size of their constituency they represent or are able to reach.

Up to three letters of recommendation may be submitted, but are not required. Each letter may be no longer than one Start Printed Page 36932page. Nominations are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, marital status, or sexual orientation. Evaluations will be based on the materials submitted.

Erik W. Amend,

Manager, Executive Office, AUS-10, UAS Integration Office, Federal Aviation Administration.

Stay in touch!

If you'd like to stay up to date with all the latest drone News, scoops, rumors, and reviews, then follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or…

Subscribe to our Daily Drone News email.*

Submit tips If you have information or tips that you would like to share with us, feel free to submit them here. Support DroneXL.co: You can support DroneXL.co by using these links when you make your next drone purchase: Adorama, Amazon, B&H, BestBuy, eBay, DJI, Parrot, and Yuneec. We make a small commission when you do so at no additional expense to you. Thank you for helping DroneXL grow! FTC: DroneXL.co uses affiliate links that generate income.

* We do not sell, share, rent out or spam your email, ever. Our email goes out on weekdays around 5:30 p.m.