Last week I had the opportunity to sit on a panel at NASA UTM 2015 to discuss the safe integration of drones into the national airspace. This is a hot button issue for many in the industry and I was glad to have the opportunity to share my thoughts. While there is a push from the entrenched aviation community to equip small (<2 kg) drones with all kinds of ADS-B-like and sense-and-avoid hardware, I, and many at 3DR, believe the first step to safe airspace integration is simply educating pilots.

Small, easy-to-operate, and inexpensive quadcopters allow an entirely new group of people to explore a dimension to which they previously never had access. I’ve seen many looks of wonder appear on new pilots’ faces as they see their worlds from above for the first time and I can’t help but think that many of the negative recent interactions between manned and unmanned aviation could have been avoided by simple pilot education.

Fortunately, there are a number of innovative companies working to educate pilots on safe places and times for flying. Hover recently embedded AirMap data layers, allowing recreational pilots to see airspace rules easily and at no cost. SkyWard is offering similar services.

So drone pilots, it’s on us now. Let’s fly safely, use these tools, and show the public that UAVs are about capturing amazing content, not creating a menace.