U.S. Congressman Blake Farenthold Participates in Roundtable on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program

Statement

Today, Congressman Blake Farenthold (R-TX) participated in the House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation roundtable policy discussion on "How to Best Utilize FAA UAS Test Range Data". The purpose of this roundtable was to review how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can best utilize the data from the six unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test ranges, including Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (TAMUCC). Congressman Farenthold has been an active proponent of selecting TAMUCC as one of the six national test sites for UAS research and sent the FAA numerous letters of support, urging its consideration of TAMUCC, prior to its announcement of the designated test sites.

"As a long-time supporter of choosing TAMUCC for this opportunity, I look forward to seeing our region take on a leadership role in both the technology and policy challenges that will arise as these unmanned systems are developed, refined and deployed," said Congressman Farenthold. "That said, it's important to hold discussions - like our roundtable today - to ensure we take every step necessary to help safely integrate UAS into the national air space. TAMUCC has revealed it plans to develop system safety requirements for UAS vehicles and operations with a goal of protocols and procedures for airworthiness testing. As the work on the new test site begins at home, I'm eager to see the progress TAMUCC makes in the research and development of this exciting new technology.

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