an implicit understanding of the ends to which you are compelled to perform certain activities. To that end, the DOT has started adopting performance-based regulation. These types of regulations propose desired end states and leave it up to the regulated party to devise the manner in which the outcome is achieved. That manner must be approved by the regulator and that regulator may also publish suggested means of compliance. Whether the regulatory framework aligns with prescriptive means or outcome-based performance, both demand a high degree of auditing and oversight for compliance purposes. Without these, even the most well-informed regulations risk being ignored by stakeholders.
3.4 Approaches to Support Adoption of a UAS Safety Culture Voluntary Measures DOT has developed many tools and supported industry activities to promote safety culture across the various modes of transportation it has oversight authority. These include encouraging standard making organizations, providing educational and reference resources, and supporting research and education institutes. The remainder of this section compares these Department-wide activities against those currently being used by FAA in support of the UAS industry to develop a baseline for subsequent recommendations in this report. Supporting Standards-Making Organizations Standards can build habits and inform people and organizations of better ways of doing things. The FAA has immediately available to them critical standards covering key aspects of safety such as required knowledge, training, use of artificial intelligence, aircraft performance, and design criteria. But these will remain peripheral to safe dayto-day UAS operations unless more fully embraced by the FAA. Certainly, the FAA widely supports and participates in key international and domestic standards creation activities for uncrewed aircraft systems. Working with organizations such as, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), ASTM International,114 RTCA, and the International Organization for Standards (ISO), FAA has been a key partner in helping to capture the collective expertise of the industry.
Guiding the New UAS Industry to Safety Excellence
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