If you received a link to respond to the Survey of Unmanned-Aircraft-Systems (UAS) Operators, we want to hear from you! You can make your voice heard, and you will be contributing to the FAA’s safety mission. Whether you fly your drone or model aircraft every day or you have stopped flying, your experience is important to us. 

Over the last decade, the number of drones flying in the National Airspace System (NAS) has increased. This survey helps us characterize the number and type of aircraft and flight patterns within the NAS. The survey covers a wide range of drone and model aircraft operators and activities, including recreational flying of drones and model aircraft (including radio-controlled model aircraft), crop spraying, and much more. The information gathered will help us develop rules, allocate funding, and ensure the safe and efficient operations of drones and model aircraft within the NAS.

All responses to this survey are averaged and your individual responses will not be released. To see how some previous responses have helped the FAA and to see an example of how the survey data is reported look at page 21 of the Compendium to FAA Aerospace Forecast FY 2025-2045 Emerging Aviation Entrants: Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Advanced Air Mobility.

The national findings from this survey, calendar year 2025, will be available in the Aerospace Forecast FY 2026-2046 in April 2026.