The head of the Federal Aviation Administration dropped a surprising admission during a tense Capitol Hill hearing: the agency doesn’t actually know how many drones are in the air at any given time.
Chris Rocheleau, acting administrator of the FAA, told lawmakers that tracking every drone flying over the U.S. is currently out of reach. That statement, in the middle of an already fragile moment for American aviation, landed with a thud—and plenty of concern.
Mounting Pressure as Accidents Stack Up
The timing couldn’t be worse. Just weeks ago, six people were killed when a Cessna 550 crashed into a San Diego neighborhood. Not long before that, a helicopter and an American Airlines plane collided mid-air near Washington, D.C., killing 67. These aren’t small scares. They’re full-blown tragedies.
Throw in a pair of major telecom outages at Newark Liberty International Airport, and the system feels like it’s being held together with duct tape. Flights have been canceled or delayed, and complaints about short staffing in air traffic control are piling up.
So when Rocheleau admitted that the FAA isn’t exactly sure how many drones are zipping around overhead at any one time? It hit like a warning bell.
“We Just Don’t Know,” Says FAA Chief
Representative Steve Womack, a Republican from Arkansas, posed the obvious question during the hearing: Is it even possible to track all drones with today’s tools?
Rocheleau didn’t sugarcoat it. “I don’t believe I would know; the FAA would know—every single drone in the sky today,” he said, adding, “We do work with legal operators… we would be able to collect that [data] through.”
Basically, there are systems in place to gather some drone data—but the coverage is far from complete.
He pointed to a recent trip to Texas where he saw demonstrations of UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) traffic management. The technology, he said, is “incredible” and capable of counting drones more effectively.
Still, it’s clear the FAA is playing catch-up.
The Drone Dilemma: Hobbyists, Hackers, and Holes in the System
The big problem? Not all drone pilots are registered, licensed, or even aware they’re supposed to follow rules.
Some are just kids playing in the backyard. Others, as Rocheleau described them, are “nefarious actors” who ignore the regulations on purpose.
In those cases, the FAA leans heavily on local police. That’s not ideal. There’s no national system for real-time enforcement, and resources are already stretched thin.
Here’s what FAA rules say about drone operation:
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Stay under 400 feet.
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Keep your drone in sight.
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Avoid restricted airspace.
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Don’t interfere with aircraft.
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Register your drone if required.
And now, thanks to the Remote Identification rule, drones need something like a digital license plate.
Remote ID Rule: Promising, But Still in Progress
Remote ID kicked in officially in March 2024. It requires drones that fall under FAA registration to broadcast identifying information—sort of like a car’s license plate, but digital and in the sky.
A spokesperson for the FAA said Remote ID data will help the FAA and law enforcement track drone flights more accurately and ensure airspace safety. But the effectiveness of the rule depends heavily on compliance.
According to the FAA:
| Requirement | Applies To |
|---|---|
| Remote ID Broadcast | All registered drones |
| Location Restrictions | Avoid restricted areas |
| Visual Line of Sight | Mandatory for all operators |
| Height Limit | Under 400 feet |
| Enforcement | Local, state, federal agencies |
Lawmakers Push for More Funding, New Tech
Back in Washington, the debate over blame is heating up. Former President Donald Trump has slammed the Biden administration for “inheriting and worsening” aviation infrastructure problems.
In response, the Trump team added a $1 billion ask in their budget reconciliation bill to help the FAA modernize its outdated telecom infrastructure.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy isn’t pulling punches either. During a May interview on Meet the Press, he vented frustration over how old some FAA equipment is. “Much of it, we can’t even buy parts for—we have to go on eBay,” he said.
Duffy insists flying is still the safest way to travel, and the data backs him up. But the cracks in the system—some small, some fatal—are starting to show.
What’s Next for Drone Oversight?
There’s no immediate fix on the horizon. FAA officials say they’re working closely with legal drone operators and refining systems to manage UAS traffic more effectively. But the acknowledgment that the agency doesn’t currently know how many drones are airborne right now is a red flag.
Some drones are harmless toys. Others could threaten commercial flights. And as the skies get busier, the need for tighter coordination grows.
What happens if a rogue drone gets sucked into an engine on approach to JFK or LAX? That’s not theoretical. It’s already happened before, in near misses.
Until tech catches up—or regulators do—the risk isn’t going anywhere.
