As small drones have become increasingly commonplace, so have reports of close calls by airliners. A recent FAA report tallied the average at four sightings a day, a five-fold increase from the year before. To help address the issue, the American Association of Airport Executives, a trade group representing 850 of the largest airports around the US, has partnered with a startup called AirMap on a Digital Notice and Awareness System, or D-NAS for short. AirMap will collect data from participating pilots flying popular consumer brands like DJI, 3D-Robotics, and Yuneec, then automatically upload that data to a web portal air traffic controllers can access securely.
