While GA pilots have varied opinions about remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) — also known as drones or Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) — a new survey by FindLaw.com finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans say they support restrictions on the use of drones as they become more commonplace.
The FindLaw.com survey says 78 percent of Americans support at least some restrictions on the use of drones by businesses.
In June, a drone successfully delivered medical supplies to a clinic in Virginia, but concerns about safety remain, according to FindLaw.com officials. Firefighters say a number of drones interfered with their fighting of a wildfire in California recently. And aviation authorities in the UK report there have been at least six recent near-misses involving drones and commercial airliners.
22% did not support any of these restrictions.
The FindLaw survey was conducted using a survey of a demographically balanced sample of 1,000 American adults and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4%.