08/30/2016There will be 600,000 commercial droneaircraft operating in the US within the year as the result of new safety rules that opened the skies to them on Monday, according to a Federal Aviation Administration estimate. Those include: no flights beyond an operator’s line-of-sight, over people, at night, above 400 feet (122m) in the air or faster than 100 miles per hour (161km/h). Companies can also use drones for deliveries, although those packages and the drone can’t have a combined weight of more than 55 pounds. They must pass an aeronautical knowledge written test.
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However, drones are still prohibited from flying near airports and over people.
The FAA regulations say operators will no longer need to get a pilot’s traditional pilots license, which is expensive and time-consuming. An operator’s license is not required for hobbyists and recreational drone users.
We are in “one of the most dramatic periods of change in the history of transportation”, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has said. The FAA has encouraged operators to also download the “Before You Fly” app, which helps to track if you are in a “no drone zone”. As of Monday, more than 3,000 people had already signed up to be certified as UAS operators.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, an industry group, forecasts that the unmanned aircraft industry will create more than 100,000 jobs and drive $82 billion in economic impact over a decade.
Virtuance added drone services two years ago, Corn said. But the FAA noted that waivers can be granted to operations that that can show their plans don’t put the public at risk.
“They’ll find out that (operating a drone) is not such an easy thing to do”, he said.
The FAA estimates 600,000 commercial drones will take to the skies within a year but Hupy says that may also mean a number of safety breaches in the future.
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There are privacy guidelines to go along with the rules, including not being allowed to fly over private property without prior permission.
