FAA Permits Illinois State Police to Fly Drones

Federal Aviation Authority of US has been granting exceptions to companies on case to case basis for using drones for declared operations. This practice of providing the exceptions for enabling their use has been a key practice till the time it came up with comprehensive guidelines which could enable their usage for all. Recent addition to this list of exceptions is that of the Illinois State Department and this is for the first time that this permission has been granted to the State Police Department for their use.

The primary focus of their usage would be in investigation of the crime scenes and crash sites on highways. This means that the authorities would be able to deploy these for public convenience and also in generating information quickly.

The Illinois State department has been developing a program for the use of drones for its use for over 2 years now and FAA has granted the approval on the basis of this program. It meets all the guidelines of FAA one of which prohibits their use for surveillance purposes.

Earlier, exceptions have also issued to some other companies and individuals for use of drones in certain types of works.

FAA Rules for Drones

The much awaited rules for flying of drones for commercial uses have finally been unveiled by FAA. Here are some of the key points in this respect:

• These shall weigh less than 55 pounds, must stay below 500 feet and must fly at no more than 100 miles per hour.
• People who fly it shall be at least 17 years old. They shall pass an aeronautical test. And, they have to be vetted by TSA.
• Drones have to fly within sight of operator and during daylight only.
• FAA knowledge tests have to be passed every 2 years.
• In case of risk collision, drone operator shall manoeuvre away first.
• It shall not fly over people, except those who are directly involved in its flight operations.
• Must not come to airport flight paths and observe restrictions of airspace, permanent or temporary.
• No object shall be dropped from the drone from air.
• Operating in reckless and careless manner shall not be allowed.
• Operator shall perform pre-flight inspection to check whether there are proper communication links between the control station and the drone.
• Though FAA is not mandating that the UAS shall be subject to airworthiness testing, it might apply to UAS that have FAA mandated components. However, it is the responsibility of the operator to ensure that it is safe before flying it.

Though these rules have been hailed by the community of drone lovers, there are still some concerns regarding their use. The FAA is also expected to pay more attention to the three contentious issues outlined below and frame regulations covering these concerns. These issues are:

1. Relaxing the ‘Line of Sight’ rule so that these can be used more profitably for commercial purposes.
2. Asking the drone manufacturers to implement geo-fencing in order to delineate the area where the drones can fly. These will act like limits to the flights of drones.
3. Develop stringent privacy protection mechanisms so that the individual privacy is not breached with their usage.

Drones Okay For Agriculture and Real Estate

That drones might pose as security risk is well known to FAA but this is not preventing it from permitting its use in civil applications. Before it comes out with a ruling permitting full-fledged usage of drones for commercial and non-commercial purposes, it is allowing exceptions selectively on case-to-case basis. The most recent exceptions are for use of drones in taking photographs of buildings/properties that are on sale and for ‘crop scouting’ in agriculture. 

In the field of agriculture, these can be used for making aerial surveys, taking aerial measurements of fields, ascertain health of crops in the fields, monitor the presence of pests and even be fitted with the sensors to gather a range of information which is not visible to naked eye. The use of drones in this way is expected to save time and labor of farmers who currently have to walk to different parts of their fields for inspections.

In the field of commercial real estate, these are expected to undertake aerial photos of the properties which are on sale so as to present the real-time videos for their listings. These would be helpful to prospective buyers. This can also be used to check the health of properties where it is difficult for man to reach, especially in case of the tall buildings. 

FAA has also granted exemptions to 11 companies so far that are involved in oil exploration, film production, landfill, real estate, agriculture, etc.

FAA Exemptions for UAS Flights- Choosing Progressive Action Over Security Concerns

FAA has granted exemptions to four companies operating the drones and by doing it, it has served a perfect example of how the regulatory authorities can encourage innovation without allowing it to be misused in any way. In a spate of recent discussions over the security concerns of UAS that originated when some of drones were flown close to the airports, this is a welcome step. By granting this exemption, FAA has chosen to go in favour innovation in technology that finds use in a number of industrial and civilian uses.

The companies who were granted exemption are Trimble Navigation Ltd, VDOS Global, LCC, Woolpert, Inc and Clayco, Inc. These are in addition to the seven other companies engaged in the film and video production. The exemptions have been granted because the UAS which have to be used for operations do not pose a threat to the American airspace or its security. Another ground of granting the exemptions was that these weigh less than 55 pounds and will be kept in line of sight at all time during their flights.

These companies, with these exemptions granted, would be able to use these UAS for aerial surveying, monitoring of the construction sites and inspections of the oil rig flares. As FAA moves towards determination of regulatory procedures which will automatically allow the operation of UAS by companies, these exemptions showcase the right path.

FAA to Review Policy to Enable Commercial Use of Drones

There has been a lot of anticipation since years that the FAA would soon be formulating the guidelines and policies for the use of drones (called Unmanned Aircraft Systems or UAS) for commercial purposes. These planes are believed to be particularly helpful for a number of purposes including use in films and for delivery of products. It is noteworthy that while the recreational drones are already in use y the general public, their commercial use has been prohibited. 

Under the new 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, Congress has asked FAA to develop suitable regulatory guidelines for permitting use of small UAS in domestic airspace. Since there is a year to go for its implementation, the agency has worked to define the preconditions for its usage. It is likely that the small UAS of less than 55 pounds would be allowed for commercial purposes. Though there is a permit to fly the recreational drones to heights less than 400 feet and away from the airports, a much more relaxed ruling is expected in favour of the UAS. 

The permission to fly drones currently have to be taken as exemptions under Section 333 of the Modernization and Reform Act.