The Obama administration on Tuesday announced long-awaited rules for the commercial operation of drones, making it easier to get a license to fly them and likely expanding the use of drones across a variety of industries.
But the anticipated expansion of drones in businesses ranging from movies to agriculture to real estate won’t include package delivery services, as contemplated by Amazon, Wal-Mart and other companies. The rules prohibit drones from flying over populated areas or over any person not involved in the operation of the drone, unless they are under a covered structure or in a parked car.
The rules also require commercial operators to keep drones in sight at all times.
Waivers for these and other rules will be available. Those details are still being worked out, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“This is just our first step. We’re already working on additional rules that will expand the range of operations,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.
When the rules are finalized, businesses could fly drones without special permission from the FAA, an often laborious process that is currently required and which has prompted many businesses to operate drones illegally.
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Questions remained about how the FAA would enforce the 624-page guidebook.
The new rules apply to drones that weight less than 55 pounds, limit use to a maximum altitude of 400 feet and maximum speed of 100 mph.
Commercial drones or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) also could only be flown during daylight or twilight hours, unless equipped with anti-collision lights for night flight.
The use of commercial drones is banned in Washington, D.C., which already has highly restricted airspace.
“We are part of a new era in aviation, and the potential for unmanned aircraft will make it safer and easier to do certain jobs, gather information, and deploy disaster relief,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
He stressed that the rules, which were years in the making, were written with safety in mind.
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“We want to make sure we are striking the right balance between innovation and safety,” Mr. Foxx said. “That we are protecting manned aircraft and folks on the ground from harm.”
However, the rules are light on protecting privacy. They rely on a “best practices” standard to begin establishing privacy requirements within industries that utilize drones.
Under the rules, operators must register their drones online. They also must pass an exam at an FAA-approved testing center to get a drone pilot certificate valid for 24 months. The specifics of the exam are still being written.
However, the requirement to take an exam will be less stringent than the current process of requiring drone operators to get the same license as a regular pilot.
The drone operator would have to go through the same security clearance and background check as does a manned aircraft pilot.
The minimum age to receive a commercial drone operator certificate is be 16, according to the rules.
Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Frank LoBiondo, chairman of the aviation subcommittee, said they were pleased with the approach taken by the FAA.
“The FAA’s long-overdue final rule focuses on safely integrating unmanned drones into the national airspace while providing flexibility to permit more advanced types of operations as technology improves,” the two Republicans said in a joint statement. “Completing this rule is an important step towards full integration and fostering innovation in the growing UAS industry.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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