The new rules require drone operators to pass a written exam, keep the aircraft within sight and avoid flying an unmanned aircraft over people.
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Now commercial drone operators need to apply for a waiver from the FAA, with 6,100 such waivers now approved and another 7,600 backlogged for approval.
In addition to the drone-specific requirements, operators themselves must now hold a remote pilot airman certificate which involves passing a knowledge test. They also have to be at least 16 years old. But some of the rules that the FAA has decided upon may frustrate those hoping to run drone delivery services, such as Alphabet, which has said it plans to have a drone delivery service up and running by 2017, and Amazon, which said it would be ready to go as soon as the FAA’s rules permit. NAR is calling for eased restrictions on a “micro” category of drones; drones in this category weigh less than four pounds and present a much smaller safety risk than certain drones in the under-55 pound category covered by the rule released today.
Numerous rules are similar to the temporary restrictions including the requirement that drones be kept within line of sight of the operator at all times.
-Rules take effect in 60 days.
“After years of work, DJI and other advocates for reasonable regulation are pleased that the FAA now has a basic set of rules for integrating commercial drone operations into the national airspace”, said Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at drone manufacturer DJI.
Noting that aviation technologies in recent years have emerged that are powering a revolution in unmanned flight, the White House said the development of these technologies has made drones commercially available at scale for the first time.
The Wall Street Journal did however state that future FAA rules would allow drones to fly at night over densely populated areas.
This would seemingly prevent their use by the likes of Amazon and Google for deliveries of small packages to offices and homes.
The FAA already requires owners to register their aircraft.
Review details about the new FAA rules here.
“As this new technology continues to grow and develop, we want to make sure we strike the right balance between innovation and safety”, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on a call with reporters.
Forbes elaborated on the leak, noting some more changes drone operators can look forward to.
The Department of Transportation said that according to industry estimates, the rule could generate more than $82 billion for the US economy and create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. It means that businesses and farmers and government agencies and academic researchers can put drones to work without having to get an airplane pilot’s license or follow other onerous rules.
Jason Miller, an Obama economic adviser, said the rules are the first step toward full integration of drones in the national airspace system.
The rules show that FAA thinks drones, which are useful for utility inspections, construction surveys, agricultural monitoring, university research and search-and-rescue, can safely share the skies with passenger planes, Lisberg said.
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“From the fast delivery of emergency supplies to more efficient crop production and improved safety for our bridge and building maintenance crews, drones have the power to save lives and help millions of people across the country”.
