How Drones and Airplanes Can Coexist, With Christian Ramsey

By John Zimmerman
Oct 21, 2025
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Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 115

Should drones have the right of way over airplanes? The FAA has proposed just that (under certain conditions) in its recent Part 108 rule, but Christian Ramsey says it doesn’t have to be bad news for GA pilots. The UAS expert and private pilot explains how drones and GA aircraft can share airspace below 400 feet, including the potential use of new electronic conspicuity devices. Christian also worked on the ADS-B network roll-out, so he shares his thoughts on datalink traffic and why it’s essential for safety. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll learn about unique drone applications, ADS-B tips, and whether angle of attack indicators matter.

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Quotes:

What Part 108 is all about: “it's really shifting from Part 107, which was drone operator-centric, to organization-centric.”
Requirements for BVLOS flight: “They are mandating that all of these drones under Part 108 flying under 400 feet have to have ADS-B In.”
New equipment options for gliders and balloons: “Electronic conspicuity is essentially a portable, battery-powered, but private ADS-B Out beacon.”
How much control UAS operators have: “the only thing they have the ability to do is essentially abort the mission or return to home. They don't have the ability to divert the flight to a different location or anything like that. It's very automated.”
The power of ADS-B: “It is hard to remember in our day and age, a day when GPS didn't exist... And that is the power of ADS-B—it maps to the power of a GPS system.”
Rolling out the ADS-B network: “That was deployed on time and on schedule and on budget.”
Will ADS-B replace radar? “Radars are here to stay. And in fact, the big part of the brand new air traffic control system is a replacement and upgrade of all of the existing radars out there.”
The value of portable ADS-B receivers: “The GA fleet is better equipped with situational awareness tools than a lot of airlines.”
Lessons for GA pilots from drone flying: “I think flying UAS, I am much more in tune to see and avoid than admittedly I was previously with as a GA pilot.”