Should States and Cities get more involved in managing low altitude airspace?

Brent Skorup is senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.  The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas—bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems. The Center advances knowledge about how markets work to improve people’s lives by training graduate students, conducting research, and applying economics to offer solutions to society’s most pressing problems.  In addition to his role as senior research fellow, Brent is also a member of the Texas Department of Transportation’s Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Task Force. He has authored several articles for National Affairs, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and others. He’s appeared on TV and radio for news outlets like C-SPAN, NPR, CBS News, ABC News and CNBC Asia. 

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Brent talks about the current federal-centric model governing traditional aviation as it relates to unmanned traffic management. To avoid gridlock with states and the risk of civil suits from landowners, Brent believes the federal government should recognize state and local government authority over drone airspace.