The Federal Aviation Administration issued a final rule on the operation and certification of non-hobbyist drones.
The rule covers commercial uses for drones that weigh less than 55 pounds, and it takes effect Aug. 29.
Operational limitations include:
- Visual line-of-sight (VLOS) only
- Drone must remain within VLOS of the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls. Alternatively, the unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of the visual observer.
- Drone must remain close enough to the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls for those people to be capable of seeing the aircraft with vision unaided by any device other than corrective lenses.
- Small unmanned aircraft may not operate over any persons not directly participating in the operation, not under a covered structure, and not inside a covered stationary vehicle.
- Daylight-only operations, or civil twilight (30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset, local time) with appropriate anti-collision lighting.
- Maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level (AGL) or, if higher than 400 feet AGL, remain within 400 feet of a structure.
- No operations from a moving vehicle unless the operation is over a sparsely populated area.
- The final rule includes the option to apply for a certificate of waiver on some of the operational limitations if the proposed operation can be performed safely. An online portal will be made available by the FAA to apply for such waivers.
Related Stories
Drones | Dec 7, 2016
Could this idea for an Urban Droneport facilitate the future of drone-based deliveries?
The project was designed by Saúl Ajuria Fernández as part of his master’s degree in architecture.
Sponsored | Drones | Oct 25, 2016
FAA issues rules for commercial drone use
People in the construction business are finding all sorts of great applications for drones, including the inspection of remote locations, getting a high viewing angle for monitoring construction progress, or showing off an impressive aerial view of a finished project.
Drones | Apr 25, 2016
The Tremco SkyBEAM UAV is the first to be approved by the FAA for nighttime commercial operation
The SkyBEAM UAV is used for identifying energy leaks, rooftop damage, deteriorating façades, and safety issues without requiring scaffolding or cranes.
Drones | Mar 18, 2016
Drones aren't just a curiosity anymore for AEC firms
UAVs, now mounted with higher-quality image-capture cameras and software, offer crisp building and site inspections.
Retail Centers | Mar 16, 2016
Food and technology will help tomorrow’s malls survive, says CallisonRTKL
CallisonRTKL foresees future retail centers as hubs with live/work/play components.
Drones | Mar 9, 2016
A new image-capturing platform mediates drone and cloud technologies
3DRobotics, Autodesk, and Sony launch Site Scan to speed the process of making models from field data.
Drones | Feb 3, 2016
A new volume measurement tool makes drone imagery easier to analyze
DroneDeploy’s latest app is available for all mobile devices.