A LinkedIn Series by Mike Richards
Based on Drone America’s 16 years of real-world experience in the UAS industry

In today’s rapidly evolving aerospace environment, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), autonomy, and AI are redefining how we build, operate, and think about flight. But despite these advancements, the environments where we test and validate these technologies remain widely misunderstood and often underestimated.

This post marks the beginning of a seven-part series aimed at helping developers, manufacturers, and early-stage innovators gain a clearer understanding of the flight-testing landscape. We’ll cover FAA rules, safety practices, regulatory checkpoints, and pilot proficiency, with a focus on helping teams avoid costly mistakes.

Disclaimer: This series offers practical observations from our ongoing work in UAS design, testing, and FAA navigation. It is not intended as legal advice.

Over the next week, I’ll be sharing key takeaways and perspectives from real-world testing programs, insights we wish someone had shared with us early on.

Side effects of reading this series may include sudden budget awareness, mild regulatory anxiety, and the overwhelming urge to call your test pilot.

Up Next: The Myth Of The “Simple Drone”