Pilots Express Concerns With Part 108 Drone Proposal

AOPA, ALPA, and other groups feel the FAA is not hearing their worries about risk elevation.

Jack Daleo

Friday, October 10, 2025 at 02:34 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

There is a stark divide between pilots and commercial drone operators, such as Wing, when it comes to the FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule. [Courtesy: Wing]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has proposed Part 108 regulations to enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations for commercial purposes, including in controlled airspace.
Pilot associations (e.g., AOPA, ALPA) strongly oppose the proposal, arguing it elevates risk to crewed aircraft by granting drones right-of-way in certain scenarios, setting lighter training requirements for drone operators, and relying on inadequate drone detect-and-avoid technology.
Pilots feel their concerns were largely dismissed during the rulemaking process and are calling for a supplemental proposal to address critical safety issues, such as the ability of drones to detect non-conspicuous aircraft.
The drone industry also has criticisms, arguing some requirements are too stringent or impractical, particularly regarding prescriptive design rules and extensive security threat assessments for a wide range of personnel.

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The FAA has spent more than four years developing regulations for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flight. Its publication of a proposed Part 108 rule in August marked its largest step toward opening the floodgates for commercial drone delivery, inspection, and any number of missions outside the direct view of the operator—including in controlled airspace.

But pilots represented by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and other groups fear the proposal elevates risk to crewed aircraft.