The Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) has announced that its Executive Director, Lisa Ellman, has been appointed to the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC). U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg selected Ellman to represent the commercial drone industry for a two-year term. This appointment is significant, as the CDA becomes the first drone organization to participate on the ARAC, highlighting the growing influence of the drone sector in aviation.

ARAC’s Role in Aviation Safety

Federal advisory committees like the ARAC allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to gather vital input from industry experts and the public. This input guides policy and regulatory decisions impacting the broader aviation landscape. The ARAC’s mission is to provide the Secretary of Transportation, through the FAA Administrator, with advice and recommendations on crucial safety issues. These include aircraft operations, airworthiness, maintenance, noise, and training.

These topics are of particular importance to the commercial drone industry. With the FAA’s proposed rulemaking on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations approaching, the drone industry’s input on safety issues is more crucial than ever.

Lisa Ellman’s Leadership in Emerging Aviation Technologies

Lisa Ellman is a recognized global leader in the legal complexities surrounding the commercial use of emerging aviation technologies. She chairs the Global Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Group at the law firm Hogan Lovells, where she is a leading public policy lawyer focusing on domestic drones, urban air mobility (UAM), and other emerging technologies. Ellman also serves as the Executive Director of the Commercial Drone Alliance, where she works to expand the commercial drone and UAM industries while focusing on UAS security efforts.

Lisa co-founded the Domestic Drone Security Summit Series, which brings together national security agencies with industry to explore collaboration opportunities around drone security. Her career has been marked by efforts to bridge government policymaking with business innovation. At the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Lisa led the DOJ’s initiative to develop policies governing UAS use in the United States and was part of the federal interagency group responsible for integrating UAS into the National Airspace System.

Expressing her excitement for the new role, Lisa Ellman stated, “We are a critical time for the commercial drone industry. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 brought much-needed stability to both the FAA and aviation industry. But now, the law needs to be implemented—and FAA rulemakings are key to this effort.  I look forward to working with stakeholders across the aviation spectrum to bring the vast benefits of drone technology to the American people safely and securely.””

About the Commercial Drone Alliance: The Commercial Drone Alliance is a non-profit organization led by key leaders in the commercial drone and advanced air mobility industries. The CDA unites a diverse group of stakeholders, including commercial drone end-users, manufacturers, service providers, advanced air mobility companies, and drone security firms. The Alliance also engages with various vertical markets such as oil and gas, precision agriculture, construction, security, communications technology, infrastructure, newsgathering, and filmmaking.

The CDA collaborates with all levels of government to advocate for policies that support industry growth. The organization also seeks to educate the public on the safe and responsible use of commercial drones, emphasizing their potential to drive economic benefits and contribute to humanitarian efforts.

For more information, visit www.commercialdronealliance.org.

Source: Commercial Drone Alliance