Drone Law

The Past, Present, and Future of Drone Law represents the state of the flux that the law is in juxtaposed with the new technology that is driving this economic area, not just in the United States but worldwide. The author's approach in writing this textbook was to give readers the opportunity to explore some of the historical context of how UAS—more commonly known as drones—developed as part of the aviation stage. The biggest influence has been the military and military applications of drones in the context of battle, going back to the wars fought in Venice during the Middle Ages. The idea of people flying in the airspace above us has captivated many people since the beginning of time. The emulation of birds flying in the sky, balloons, and the development of aircraft have caught the attention of people of all ages who wished that they could experience the same joy of flight. As technology developed and aircraft were filling the skies—not just airplanes, but balloons, airships, birds and more, the law also had to follow suit. The changes occurred in private property law, and in international law that permitted overflights of private property and countries. As technology developed first, the law would have to follow in order to permit the economic activity of technological development and flight. Currently, the low cost of entry allows many people to fly in the National Airspace System without the same rigor or oversight as crewed or manned aircraft flight. As technology develops, new law will follow. Law is precedential and takes some time for development. Technology, however, is developing at an exponential rate with the explosion of technological advancement, artificial intelligence, and automation. This textbook gives a historical and present context into the future development of UAS law.