Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran emphasized the importance of drones to the state's economy Thursday at a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
Moran, Wichita State University President John Bardo and many leaders in aviation met at a forum at the National Institute for Aviation Research, or NIAR.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said that he feels that the government is on a good path as far as drone use goes, but that he has concerns about private sector use. He says officials are looking at ways of registering drones so that they can be traced.
Moran says that the drones have many uses in Kansas not only for aviation research and manufacturing but also for agriculture and utilities.
From the AP:
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran says he wanted the nation's top federal transportation official to see the importance of unmanned aerial vehicles to the Kansas economy.
The issue came up during an aviation forum Wednesday attended by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
Fox told the state's leading aviation leaders that while the government is on "a good path" when it comes to commercial use of drones, he is concerned about their private use. Foxx says officials are looking at strategies such as a possible registration system at the point of sale so that problem drones can be traced back to their owners.
Moran says drones are important to the Kansas economy with its aviation research centers and manufacturers. They also can be valuable for use by agriculture, utilities and rail transportation.
--
Follow Aileen LeBlanc on Twitter @Aileen_LeBlanc.
To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.
