Conference 

# Of Rockets and Robotics: The Regulation of Emerging Aerial Technology 

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Date and Time 

September 25, 2018 10 AM - 3:45 PM EDT 

Location 

Hayek Auditorium, Cato Institute 

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##### Featuring 

Richard Aboulafia 

Jason Snead 

![Jake Laperruque](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2026-07/Jake%20Laperruque.jpg?itok=aFRSv9D5) 

Jake Laperruque 

Deputy Director, Security and Surveillance Project, Center for Democracy and Technology

[ 

](https://twitter.com/JakeLaperruque) 

Matt Voska 

[![Matthew Feeney](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-01/Matthew%20Feeney.jpg?itok=O149-e08)](/people/matthew-feeney) 

[Matthew Feeney](/people/matthew-feeney)

Head of Technology and Innovation, Centre for Policy Studies

[ 

](https://twitter.com/m_feeney) 

[![Peter Van Doren](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-01/Peter%20Van%20Doren.jpg?itok=H1lphT-7)](/people/peter-van-doren) 

[Peter Van Doren](/people/peter-van-doren)

Senior Fellow and Editor of *Regulation*

[ 

](mailto:pvandoren@cato.org) 

Innovations in aerial technology present regulators, lawmakers, and entrepreneurs with numerous challenges and opportunities.

Although there have been advances in supersonic engine technology, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 1970s ban on overland supersonic flights remains in place. Flytenow, an online flight-sharing company seeking to establish an “Uber of the sky,” has been grounded thanks to the FAA regulations. Restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicle flights have hampered the growth of the commercial drone sector, with American companies such as Ama​zon​.com testing delivery drones abroad. Meanwhile, police departments are increasingly interested in pursuing drone technology as well as counterdrone technology, which raises significant civil liberty and safety concerns.

Our panelists will discuss these and other issues and consider how lawmakers and regulators can best foster innovation while protecting our safety and privacy.

| **10:00 — 10:15AM** | **INTRODUCTION** |
|---|:--|
| **10:15 — 11:15AM** | **BREAKING BARRIERS: THE FUTURE OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHT** **Richard Aboulafia**, Vice President of Analysis, Teal Group **Alan McQuinn**, Senior Policy Analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Moderated by **Caleb Watney**, Fellow, Technology & Innovation Policy at the R Street Institute [Download video of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cc-09-25-18-01.mp4) [Download podcast of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cca-09-25-18-01.mp3) |
| **11:15 — 11:30AM** | **BREAK** |
| **11:30AM — 12:30PM** | **GROUNDING “UBER OF THE SKY“** **Christopher Koopman**, Senior Director of Strategy and Research at the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University **Matt Voska**, CEO and Cofounder of Flytenow Moderated by **Randal J. Meyer**, staff attorney at BakerHostetler [Download video of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cc-09-25-18-02.mp4) [Download podcast of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cca-09-25-18-02.mp3) |
| **12:30 — 1:30PM** | **LUNCH** |
| **1:30PM — 2:30PM** | **COMMERCIAL DRONES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES** **Brendan Schulman**, Vice President of Policy & Legal Affairs at DJI **Diana Marina Cooper**, Senior Vice President of Policy & Strategy, PrecisionHawk **Rob Hawks**, Manager of the Operations Law Branch at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel Moderated by [**Peter van Doren**](https://www.cato.org/people/peter-van-doren), Senior Fellow, Cato Institute [Download video of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cc-09-25-18-03.mp4) [Download podcast of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cca-09-25-18-03.mp3) |
| **2:30 — 2:45PM** | **BREAK** |
| **2:45PM — 3:45PM** | **EYES IN THE SKY: POLICE USE OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY** **Jason Snead**, Policy Analyst at the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, Heritage Foundation **Rebecca Lipman**, Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department **Jake Laperruque**, Senior Counsel, Project on Government Oversight Moderated by [**Matthew Feeney**](https://www.cato.org/people/matthew-feeney), Director, Project on Emerging Technologies, Cato Institute [Download video of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cc-09-25-18-04.mp4) [Download podcast of the panel](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2018/cca-09-25-18-04.mp3) |
| **3:45 — 4:45PM** | **RECEPTION** |

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