Advocacy & Legal Support for Pilots

A core function of the American Drone Pilots Association is to ensure that drone pilots are able to operate within a clear, lawful, and consistent regulatory framework.

The FAA is the sole authority over the National Airspace System. However, across the country, pilots increasingly encounter local ordinances, policies, and restrictions that attempt to regulate airspace or flight operations beyond that authority. These inconsistencies create confusion, limit lawful operations, and place pilots at unnecessary risk of enforcement actions that may not be legally supported.

ADPA exists to address these challenges in a structured, professional, and responsible manner.

How We Advocate for Pilots

When potential conflicts or unlawful restrictions arise, ADPA follows a measured, step-by-step approach:

1. Initial Review & Correspondence

We begin by:

• You submitting a contact form telling us of the encroachment upon FAA regulations that you believe is happening.

• We will receive the correspondence from the member and gather the necessary information needed to make a determination.

• We will evaluate the ordinance, statute, or policy in question.

• We will compare it against existing federal authority and FAA regulations as well as State and Local rule/laws.

• We will then determine what the next course of action should be by the ADPA.

If concerns are identified, ADPA will initiate formal written correspondence with the governing body to:

• Clarify the scope of the restriction

• Provide relevant federal guidance

• Request reconsideration or revision where appropriate

2. Direct Engagement

If the issue is not resolved through correspondence, ADPA may pursue:

• Direct meetings with local or state officials

• Participation in public hearings or administrative discussions

The goal at this stage is to:

• Educate decision-makers

• Advocate for lawful, consistent regulation

• Promote solutions that support both public safety and pilot operations

3. Legal Review & Action (When Necessary)

When a restriction clearly conflicts with federal authority and cannot be resolved through cooperative efforts, ADPA may escalate the matter through:

• Consultation with qualified aviation counsel, including attorneys experienced in federal aviation law

• Evaluation of appropriate legal remedies

Where warranted, this may include formal legal challenges in federal court to ensure that:

• Federal authority is properly upheld

• Pilots are protected from unlawful restrictions

• Consistency in airspace regulation is maintained nationwide

Our Commitment to you - the pilot

ADPA’s advocacy is grounded in two core principles:

• Support for safe, legal, and responsible drone operations

• Protection of pilots from unlawful and/or inconsistent regulation

We do not support unsafe or illegal flying. Our mission is to ensure that pilots can operate confidently within a system that is clear, lawful, and fairly applied across the country.

Why It Matters

Without consistent advocacy:

• Pilots face a patchwork of conflicting rules

• Lawful operations become unclear

• The growth of the industry is hindered

With a unified voice, pilots can help ensure that regulations remain:

• Consistent

• Understandable

• Grounded in proper authority