San Diego Asks for Input on Citywide Drone Pilot

San Diego will soon host a federal pilot program on unmanned drones.

1 minute read

November 27, 2018, 1:00 PM PST

By Elana Eden


Delivery Drone

Slavoljub Pantelic / Shutterstock

In May, San Diego became one of 10 cities selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to pilot unmanned aerial drone systems. Ahead of the program's launch, Route Fifty reports, the city has launched an online survey to gather residents' hopes and concerns about living with the new technology.

Questions on the survey include:

  • "Would you be in support of law enforcement using drones in your community?
  • "What is your top concern about drone technology?
  • "How comfortable are you with drones flying near you or over your home in transit to some other location?"

The applications being tested in San Diego will range from the vital—like wildfire monitoring and emergency transport of medical supplies—to the profit-driven: Uber is preparing to launch sky food delivery through UberEats by 2021. The two-year pilot program will inform federal regulations on drone safety and use.

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