Evolution of UAS policy in the wake of Taylor v. Huerta

The U.S. Court of Appeals recently ruled that the Federal Aviation Administration exceeded their statutory authority in requiring model aircraft and hobbyist UAS operators to register their aircraft in a national database. The ruling represents a significant blow to the agency’s credibility in leading UAS integration into the National Airspace System. The paper points to several possible outcomes of the Taylor v. Huerta decision and its impact on the FAA’s ability to continue to lead change in the burgeoning UAS field.