2017 is set to be a vital year for the drone industry.

“Drones and pilots are becoming more and more connected through various means. Pilots use connected tablets to navigate, drones are connected through ground stations or directly to cell towers, and mobile phone operators are interested in expanding wireless coverage towards the sky. As a result, the communication and coordination amongst low-flying sky users will naturally occur. Safer Together, a joint initiative between senseFly and Air Navigation Pro to make the skies a safer place to fly, is a prime example of this, enabling traffic coordination between drone operators and airspace managers. Sharing this real-time information while flying is only set to improve as stronger internet connections allow for more consistent bi-directional communication. Whilst this is a giant leap in the right direction, there is still a lot to be done to implement this across the board and for drone operators at every level to be able to fully understand the requirements.

“In terms of expected legislation, 2017 will be all about closing the gap between UAV operators and creating harmonised regulations. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) predicts the EU will be the second largest market for drones within the next few years, and given this vast potential, European guidelines for safety regulations and a common legislative framework must be implemented to take this further for professional drone operators and hobbyists alike. This past year senseFly worked closely with the Global UTM Association in the development and harmonization of U.S. and EU regulations, and we intend on actively supporting these efforts moving into 2017 and beyond.