DRONE
LAW
DIGEST
Insights and Analysis for Aviation's (Next) Golden Age
Welcome To Drone Law Digest
This site is dedicated to providing insights and information about the legal and regulatory ecosystem for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS, or drones). DLD was designed for anyone using drones or curious about them, including drone/UAS operators, pilots, concerned citizens, legislators, mayors, manufacturers, first responders, attorneys, students, educators … and maybe a few people looking for Star Wars fan sites who stumbled across this site accidentally. Regardless your path, everyone is welcome here and I hope you find DLD useful.
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Aviation is entering a second, golden age. Many forget that aviation is a relatively new industry, having its early roots in the 20th century. Beginning in the 1900s, the public grew fascinated (and sometimes terrified) by this new technology. Even the most optimistic visionaries struggled to predict just how much aviation would change our lives.
In many respects, the emergence of drones is beckoning a similar transformation. While this "uncrewed" revolution may lack some of the romance and intrigue of aviation's infancy, the emergence and integration of pilotless aircraft into the national airspace could be every bit as transformative to our society, economy and culture. But with this enormous potential, we face obvious hurdles in regulating this new world, and in striking an appropriate balance between safety and innovation. At it's core, this website is devoted to tracking this endeavor from a lawyer's perspective.
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By way of introduction, DLD was developed by Zach Dougherty, a Colorado-based attorney and self-proclaimed aviation nerd with a passion for drone law and regulation. I have spent more than a decade of experience handling commercial litigation and real estate matters. Drone Law Digest was borne from my personal fascination with the potential of UAS technology to change the world for the better, and my curiosity about how we can develop a legal and regulatory framework to facilitate this change. My Bio page has more information about my background and how I might be able to help you (except the Star Wars fans).
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From the outset, my vision for DLD is for this site to be both dynamic and collaborative. My goal was never to restate--or even summarize--the entire body of legal knowledge in this field. Several excellent websites already provide much of this information, and I want DLD to help guide users to the information they need to find. Much of this can be found on the Resources page. but instead to offer insights and help visitors find more information available elsewhere.