FAA Announces Request for Proposals For Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research and Test Sites

Prior to the close of the Federal Register comment period, the FAA will host an online listening session to solicit additional comments on the proposed privacy approach. The agency will publish a notice providing details for the listening session sufficiently in advance with full details.

The request for comments on the proposed UAS test site privacy approach, including instructions for filing comments, will be published in the Federal Register and the public will have 60 days to comment. The FAA will post all comments it receives, without change, to: http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information the commenter provides.

The FAA anticipates selection of the six test sites will occur later this year.

For additional information please see http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/. Applicants will have 80 days to submit their research and test site proposal to the FAA through the Screening Information Request (SIR) process. The SIR is available on the FAA Contracting Opportunities website (http://faaco.faa.gov). In developing the SIR and to ensure transparency, the agency has previously asked for input on the test site program. In March 2012, the FAA issued a request for comments and held two webinars in April 2012 about the test site program.