The FAA bought into the idea of requiring a pilots license as a stop gap measure but eventually they will have to accept that this new flight regime will dictate a different set of requirements though there will be a great deal of overlap.
...being a licensed pilot is not sufficient, by itself, for many of the missions I outlined above.
Brian
Being a licensed pilot is not a stop gap measure. It is a requirement, whatever the FAA decides on commercial use of UAS it will include being a licensed pilot, perhaps a licensed drone pilot, but none the less a licensed pilot.
All pilots, even student pilots, must be licensed before they can fly solo. This includes vetting by the TSA. This will not change, licensed UAS pilots, will be vetted by the TSA as well and will carry a pilot's license.
What I disagree with is the constant attitude that the FAA is somehow trying to restrict drone usage. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are indeed trying to work with us.
The 333 exemption is the stop gap. By doing this they are allowing us to fly commercially TODAY, not at some distant future. By allowing the 333 exemptions they are trying to work with us. In fact they made the license requirements as least restrictive as is possible allowing ANY pilot license, light sport, private and commercial to be sufficient for commercial operations. That was pretty broad of them. What they could not, and will never do, is wave the pilot license requirement for commercial drone operations.
Model aircraft is the one and only exception because of its long standing and proud history of safely flying RC model aircraft. At Lakeland airport in Florida the RC aircraft runway is right next to the main runway and RC aircraft and manned aircraft safely fly side by side.
What commercial drone operations are not is model RC aircraft. We do not fly at a closed field far away from unsuspecting persons and private property. The fact that we can fly BVLOS has opened up a huge can of worms. If it was not for this fact every drone operator would keep his drone within VLOS for fear of loosing the drone. While we are still required to do this there are unlicensed drone pilots that will continue to break these rules long after Part 107 is finalized, under the disillusion they are operating a model aircraft. An UAS is not a model aircraft and certainly does not share the model RC aircraft tradition of safe operations.
The FAA does not have an easy task, just look at your long list of possible items that can be done with a drone, and you have not even touched on personal transport. We all know the biggest problem with Uber is the drivers, so lets eliminate them.
No, the FAA does not have a easy task in the coming years, the technology is moving far too quickly. Let's just hope they get some of it right and allowing 333 exemptions is a good start.