On Friday, 13 October, John Lambert moderated a panel titled "Florida Drones Supporting Hurricane Irma Response and Recovery".  The Florida Tech Xpo was sponsored by the Space Coast Technology Council (SCTC) and was held at the Eau Gallie Civic Center in Melbourne, FL. The panel presented information on how Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), aka Drones, demonstrated enormous potential to Floridians.  When Irma’s winds and floodwaters damaged homes, businesses, roadways and industries, a wide variety of agencies sought FAA authorization to fly drones in the affected areas. The FAA responded quickly, issuing a total of 132 airspace authorizations to ensure the drones could operate safely.  This SCTC Drone Panel presented information on how drone flights were authorized and managed during Hurricane Irma's recovery and what this could mean to the expansion of the UAS industry.