Will The FAA Soon Regulate UAV Hobbyists?

Posted on 14/08/2015 by mecicon

Will the alarming increase in near misses between manned and unmanned aircraft cause Congress to give the FAA authority to regulate drone hobbyists?

By Patrick C. Miller

Several months ago, I spoke to an aviation attorney who told me that the Federal Aviation Administration is always seeking to expand its regulatory authority and predicted that the trend would continue with unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

At the time, I didn’t see how the FAA could expand its power a great deal more given that it claimed authority over all U.S. airspace and all aircraft operating in it—manned or unmanned. But in light of the recent increases of close encounters between airliners and drones, it got me to thinking about some of the UAS-related Congressional hearings I’ve seen over the past year.

They almost all included a committee member asking an FAA official what it was doing to protect the flying public from drones. The FAA official would point out that hobbyist operators of unmanned aerial vehicles were likely the culprits, and then tactfully point out that Congress expressly forbids the agency from regulating hobbyist and recreational drone pilots.

Not surprisingly, members of Congress don’t like to hear that they are at least partially to blame for the problem and thus spend little time dwelling on the situation they helped create.

A few weeks ago, another attorney with expertise in UAS law suggested that for reasons of safety, improved regulation and more effective law enforcement, it might be wise to get rid of the distinction between recreational and commercial UAV operators.

Last week while writing a story about the Air Line Pilots Association’s recommendations for improving UAS safety, I noticed that the organization’s white paper was timed to advise members of Congress on what commercial airline pilots hoped would be included in the FAA reauthorization bill known as the Aviation Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization Act (AIRR).

Congress will likely begin hearings on this legislation next month. Although I have yet to hear or see anyone say that the FAA needs increased authority to regulate hobbyists and recreational UAV pilots, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the idea is given serious consideration.

Otherwise, members of Congress will continue to hear that the reason the FAA can’t get amateur drone operators under control is because Congress won’t allow it to. And no politician wants to be left holding that particular bag if a collision between a manned and unmanned aircraft becomes a tragedy.

http://www.uasmagazine.com/blog/article/2015/08/will-the-faa-soon-regulate-uav-hobbyists

FAA exemptions for commercial drone flight top 1,000

Posted on 12/08/2015 by mecicon

Photo by AP Former Navy helicopter pilot and San Diego Gas & Electric unmanned aircraft operator Teena Deering holds a drone as it is prepared for takeoff near Boulevard, California.

By Donna Mahoney

The Federal Aviation Administration has granted more than 1,000 exemption approvals for drones in its effort to safely expand their operations.

The 1,008 Section 333 exemptions include grants for “new and novel approaches to inspecting power distribution towers and wiring, railroad infrastructure and bridges,” the FAA said Aug. 4 in a statement.

A report published July 30 by the Arlington, Virginia-based Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International highlights some of the innovative ways unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known as drones, are being put to work, including inspecting industrial flare stacks that stand several hundred feet tall and emit 2,000-degree-Fahrenheit heat.

Building contractors also can use drones to inspect work being done on roofs instead of asking workers to climb up and do it, while civil engineering contractors can use drones to inspect bridges, towers, and wind turbines without putting people at risk to do so, the report says.

“With the FAA offering 333 exemptions to companies, they are able to use unmanned aircraft with optical (traditional), thermal/infrared, even gas-detection (leak) sensors,” a spokesman for Morton, Illinois-based unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer Homeland Surveillance & Electronics L.L.C. said Aug. 6 in an email. “And since UAVs are so much smaller in size, they can safely operate closer to the lines/structures without risking the lives of pilots or infrastructure, all with returning a higher quality data output.”

“Bridge inspections are a hot topic right now because of the amount of failures and concerns we’ve had over the last 20 years,” the spokesman continued. “UAVs can quickly and effectively be used to fly around supports and foundations to show signs of premature wear/damage. UAVs can inspect the underside of decks and roadways — imagine humans trying to get data that close and quickly while being suspended over a rushing river or massive ravine.”

Railroads can also use UAVs to measure changes in track integrity and capture time-lapse data to compare changes over time. Before UAVs, this was done manually by walking or rolling a crew down the tracks to collect the data, the spokesman said.

Utility inspections also are safer and faster with drones. According to a petition granted to Atlanta-based Southern Company Services Inc. by the FAA, drones “would vastly reduce risks to crews responsible for power line inspections and significantly hasten power restoration in the event of storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other weather events.”

http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20150811/NEWS06/150819972/faa-exemptions-for-commercial-drone-flight-top-1000?tags=|80|329|302

Drones lead to new business ideas

Posted on 12/08/2015 by mecicon

ericellifson

Jodi Schwan

Shortly after he became the proud owner of a Phantom drone, Tom Simmons realized he had a cutting-edge new toy, but not necessarily a tool he could use for his business.

“I said, ‘OK, we’re going to go out and take some pictures of our real estate listings,’ ” said Simmons, a broker with Nelson Property Consultants. “After a little research, I discovered technically, according to the FAA, you can’t do that according to the regulations that are in place.”

With his new aircraft temporarily grounded for commercial purposes, Simmons saw what he calls “a heck of a business opportunity.”

About a year ago, he founded Aerial Horizons and became an authorized dealer for a Chinese company, DJI, which makes a growing line of drones for hobby and business uses.

“I’m trying to get ahead of the curve and learning,” Simmons said.

He’s not the only one. A growing number of entrepreneurs is wading into the world of drones, with its changing regulatory landscape and vast number of potential business implications.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which has its South Dakota office in Rapid City, hears from up to 10 people each week – a number that picked up after Christmas.

“Most people who are inquiring want to operate them legally,” said Steve Hoogerhyde, an aviation safety inspector. “They’re concerned about doing something they shouldn’t, and there’s a process in place for them to go through to operate for commercial purposes.”

Taking flight

Simmons sells the unmanned aerial systems – or drones – from a new office that he shares with MPI Video at 814 N. Western Ave. The price tag ranges from $1,100 to $13,000.

The drones haven’t been flying out the door for a variety of reasons, he said. Potential business users are starting to realize the FAA is cracking down on illegal operators, so many of his sales have been to people who want to use them for agricultural purposes or hobbies.

Other customers also buy online, Simmons added. He includes instruction and servicing to help distinguish his business.

“So many people buy these things online, take them out of the box, charge the battery, take them out and fly it, and it flies away,” he said. “And they don’t understand why.”

Simmons educates customers about how to operate the drones and can help repair or replace them when they crash – “which unfortunately happens more than most of us would like to admit.”

He still doesn’t use drones to photograph real estate listings because that would be using them commercially, and he hasn’t yet received an exemption from the FAA. To receive that requires a sport pilot certificate earned through a ground school and flight time.

“Over the last few months, I’ve been telling all my customers they need to go to the FAA’s website and read the rules and regulations,” he said. “And if they’re going to be using these for commercial purposes, they need to go through the process.”

Click Rain is going through the same process.

The marketing firm bought its first drone earlier this year after hearing interest from clients.

“We bit the bullet, went out and bought the latest and greatest one we could find after we sold our initial project,” partner Eric Ellefson said.

More http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/business-journal/2015/08/11/drones-lead-new-business-ideas/31506055/

Colorado’s ready-to-fly dronemakers stalled by MIA federal rules

Posted on 10/08/2015 by mecicon

Drones are being used in Colorado with FAA expemption

By Laura Keeney The Denver Post

Fifteen of the first 500 FAA exemptions permitting commercial drones to fly were granted in Colorado.

But enabling those and other waiting businesses to spur an estimated $232 million in economic impact — and create more than 1,190 jobs — in Colorado by 2017 hinges on long-delayed rules based on a 1946 U.S. Supreme Court case filed by a poultry farmer.

Yes, that’s right. Regulation of high-tech drones in the U.S. starts with chickens.

Under current aviation law, aircraft must fly no lower than 1,000 feet above congested population areas, and at least 500 feet above less-populated areas.

But there are no permanent regulations for commercial unmanned aircraft systems, or drones. The vehicles are illegal to fly in the national air space without a Federal Aviation Administration permit called a Section 333 Exemption. The permit allows drones to fly commercially as long as they fly in daylight, no higher than 500 feet and within the operator’s line of sight.

The delay in deploying regulations that have been discussed for more than five years is frustrating companies in Colorado, and elsewhere, that use drones for such diverse tasks as delivering packages, and surveying real estate, oil and gas wells and farm fields .

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_28612999/mia-federal-rules-stall-colorados-ready-fly-dronemakers

NZ:- Permission policy on the way for drones

Posted on 10/08/2015 by mecicon

trentlochead

HANNAH LEE

The latest rules on drones and model airplanes have been dubbed “a pain in the a***” by flyers, and has council playing policy catch-up.

On August 1, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) introduced new rules which requires the remote pilots to request permission from property owners, or the person, namely council, in charge of any area they wish to fly over.

Trent Lochhead, committee member with the New Plymouth Model Aero Club, said he has been flying drones for around three years, but was yet to take his own out under the new rules and regulations.

However speaking with other pilots, Lochhead said the general sentiment was the rules were “overkill”.

“Beforehand you would go down to a park or whatever but it’s harder to do now.”

Lochhead said to be able to fly a drone or model aeroplane at a local park now required permission from council, but the process was less than straightforward.

“The councils haven’t known how to deal with it.”

One man had approached the New Plymouth Model Aero Club a couple of weeks back after going to the council who “didn’t know how to give him permission”, Lochhead said.

The new rules have been implemented around privacy issues, not safety issues, however most people really overestimate the quality of the cameras being used, he said.

When it comes to public parks or other areas, as long as it was done safely, drones should be able to be used without express permission, Lochhead suggested.

“On private property it’s probably fair enough [to have to ask for permission to fly over], but people have been doing this for ages.”

New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) manager customer and regulatory Mary-Anne Priest said council’s district plan has a bylaw which covers flying objects and they looked at permission to fly, largely from a health and safety perspective.

Priest admitted the council having to police these new CAA rules came “out of left field” and there were still some things that needed to be ironed out.

A review of the district plan was being carried out this year, where hopefully a blanket consent or ruling on drone use would be decided upon, Priest said.

“Obviously what this [the rules] does is bring it more into the public eye.”

Prior to these new regulations, anyone flying drones in a public area would have generally gone through council anyway, so this would be about extending that a bit further, she said.

With the increased use of this technology it was inevitable new laws would need to be created, but the current bylaw would be the baseline for any further legislation, Preist noted.

New Plymouth Model Aero Club committee member Allen Lawrence said having to ask permission to fly over private property was a reasonable request.

Interest in drones was increasing rapidly, however in Taranaki there was still not a huge base of remote pilots.

Lawrence said he predicted the issues would arise predominantly from those not affiliated with aero clubs, who do not understand what was required of them.

“We already have an area, with permission to fly, so it’s not really an issue for us.”

NPDC manager airport Kevin Hill said there had been no incidents regarding drones out at New Plymouth’s airport and hoped that would continue.

Flying closer than 4km from an airport was not permitted, Hill said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/70957009/permission-policy-on-the-way-for-drones.html

Feds approve 1,000 applications for drone flights

Posted on 06/08/2015 by mecicon

By Keith Laing – 08/05/15 11:48 AM EDT

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved 1,000 applications for nonmilitary drone flights.

The exemptions were granted this week under a section of federal law that allows the Transportation Department to wave requirements for FAA approval for drone flights that are operated outside of restricted airspace and below 200 feet.

The FAA said in a statement that the exemptions were part of a “continuing effort to safely expand and support commercial unmanned aircraft operations in U.S. airspace.”

“Companies and individuals from a broad spectrum of industries are taking advantage of the Section 333 exemption process,” the agency said.”Many of the grants the FAA has issued allow aerial filming for uses such as motion picture production, precision agriculture and real estate photography,” the FAA statement continued. “The agency also has issued grants for new and novel approaches to inspecting power distribution towers and wiring, railroad infrastructure and bridges.”

The FAA is in the process of developing regulations for allowing a rapid expansion of the use of commercial drones in the U.S.

The agency has faced tremendous pressure to approve such an expansion of nonmilitary drone use from companies such as Amazon, who have said the technology can be used to make speedier online deliveries.

Police and other law enforcement groups were also seeking approval to use the technology, and the FAA has investigated several drone incidents that occurred in conjunction with photography at college and professional sporting events.

The section of law that allows the FAA to grant drone exemptions gives the Transportation Department the authority to drop a requirement that operators of the technology apply for a certificate of airworthiness that is normally required for flights that are formally considered an aircraft.

The definition of drones as aircraft under the FAA’s proposed rules has riled recreational operators of the devices who consider themselves hobbyists instead of pilots.

The FAA’s rules define small drones as devices that weigh less than 55 pounds and require them to be operated at heights that are less than 500 feet and speeds that are less than 100 miles per hour.

The regulations also call for drone flights to be limited to daytime hours and conducted only by U.S. residents who are older than 17. Drone operators are also prohibited under the FAA proposal from conducting flights that take the devices out of their line of vision — a big blow to companies like Amazon that have touted the possibility of using the technology to conduct deliveries.

The rules make drone operators responsible for avoiding collisions with manned aircraft that are in the same airspace as the devices, and prohibit drone flights that “fly over people, except those directly involved with the flight.”

The FAA said this week that it has streamlined the exemption process for the drone rules “to make it easier for operators to access the nation’s airspace.

“In March, the agency began issuing ‘blanket’ Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COAs) to Section 333 exemption holders,” the agency said.

“This COA allows flights anywhere in the country at or below 200 feet except in restricted airspace, close to airports, and other areas, such as major cities where the FAA prohibits UAS operations,” the FAA continued. “Previously, an operator had to apply for and receive a COA for a particular block of airspace, a process that can take as long as 60 days.”

http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/250311-feds-approve-1000-drone-exemptions

Department of Homeland Security issues terror alert after three drones are spotted in three days above JFK

Posted on 04/08/2015 by mecicon

idlewindairport

By ASHLEY COLLMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Three drones were spotted flying too close to airplanes landing at New York City’s John F Kennedy Airport over the weekend, prompting warnings was the FAA.

It’s currently illegal to fly a drone withing five miles of an airport or higher than 400 feet, but one of the pilots landing at JFK on Friday said he say a drone as high as 1,400 feet off the ground.

The drone spotting have prompted worries from federal aviation officials, that the unmanned aircraft would be used to pose a threat to commercial planes.

In response to the sightings, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin, warning that drones would be used by terrorists.

‘The rising trend in UAS incidents within the National Airspace System will continue, as UAS gain wider appeal with recreational users and commercial applications.

‘While many of these encounters are not malicious in nature, they underscore potential security vulnerabilities… that could be used by adversaries to leverage UAS as part of an attack,’ the statement reads.

Over the weekend, New York Senator Chuck Schumer called for tougher defenses against drones – such as geofences that wouldn’t stop drones from approaching restricted areas.

‘The FAA has to act and toughen up the rules before a tragedy occurs because if a drone were sucked into a jet engine of a plane filled with passengers untold tragedy could result and we do not, do not, do not want that to happen,’ Schumer said.

The first spotting this weekend was reported by a JetBlue flight arriving from Haiti just before 2:30pm on Friday.

Two and a half hours later, a Delta pilot landing at JFK from Orlando spotted another drone about 1,400 feet off the ground.

‘Yeah, about a mile back there was a drone flying just under the southwest side of the airport here. It’s about a hundred feet below us,’ the pilot said over the radio.

The third report came on Sunday, from a Shuttle America flight arriving from Richmon, Virginia around 6pm.

None of the three pilots had to take evasive action to avoid the drones.

According to the federal aviation agency, there are about two drone sightings across the country each day.

Drone safety record good — so far

Posted on 03/08/2015 by mecicon

jimmyharmon

By Doug Thompson

No aircraft has hit a drone in Arkansas or anywhere else in the United States, Federal Aviation Administration records show. Airport managers, regulators, pilots, aircraft passengers and private drone operators want to keep that record.

“Hitting a bird can bring down an airplane,” said James Smith, manager of the Springdale Municipal Airport. “Imagine what a drone can do.” FAA rules allow a maximum weight of 55 pounds for private drones, which use electric motors powered by batteries.

Sales of drones for private used by hobbyists are not tracked by the FAA. The U.S. Consumer Electronics Association projects sales of 700,000 remotely piloted aircraft this year, ranging from small remote control planes to large “Unmanned Aircraft Systems” capable of carrying a large, professional-grade camera. Worldwide sales of the larger craft are expected to be 80,000 units this year, according to industry accounts.

The FAA expects to approve its 1,000th request for private, commercial use of drones sometime this week, said Les Dorr, agency spokesman. Any drone used for a commercial purpose requires both an exemption from the noncommercial restriction by the FAA and operation by someone who holds a regular pilot’s license, just like that required to fly an aircraft.

Those requirements would change under a set of rules proposed by the FAA in February, said both Dorr and Tom McMahon, spokesman for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, an industry group. The new set of rules would set up a certification process just for drone operators.

Parties interested in commercial drones range from photographers to real estate companies, news organizations and farmers wanting to monitor crops. Many existing restrictions on drones would still apply, such as operation being limited to daylight hours and only as long as the operator keeps the drone within his direct line of sight.

Drones can be hard to see even when ground clutter below them isn’t a factor for a pilot in a descending airplane, and they are too small to be tracked by airport radar, Smith said. Drone owners in Northwest Arkansas have been very responsible, though, Smith said.

“I’ve received a grand total of one telephone call about a drone, and it was the mother of someone who lost his and, as far as we can tell, it was never near the airport,” he said.

The overwhelming majority of drone operators around the country have also been responsible and cooperative with the FAA in helping refine a set of proposed rules, Dorr said. Those proposals drew more than 4,500 comments during the process of drafting them, he said.

“U.S. airspace is the most complex and crowded in the world, but we’ve met challenges before,” Dorr said. “The FAA is in the business of getting new technology into the nation’s airspace safely.”

The proposed regulations are practical and workable, said Jimmy Harmon of Bella Vista, owner of a polished concrete company who is also a photographer and drone owner.

Both existing rules and the proposed FAA regulations make it illegal to fly them above 500 feet, the minimum safe altitude for manned aircraft. They are forbidden to fly within five miles of a major airport or leave the line of sight of the operator. They would only be allowed to operate in daylight hours.

The FAA has the authority to punish drone operators for unsafe operation under the same laws restricting flights by pilots of regular aircraft, courts have ruled. For example, someone who flies an aircraft over large public gatherings or places where any flights are restricted, such as over some national parks, public buildings or defense installations, could face fines and up to a year in prison.

An unmanned drone beer delivery service for ice fishermen in Minnesota was shut down by the FAA last year when told the practice violated the “noncommercial” drone restriction.

State laws can also apply. Arkansas has anti-voyeurism laws that prohibit invasions of privacy and which apply to those using drone cameras under amendments to that law made in the last legislative session.

Out-of-state, two people were arrested in July 2014 on “reckless endangerment” charges when a New York Police Department helicopter had to swerve to avoid their drone, according to news accounts. Six months before, New York police arrested a Brooklyn man for the same charge after he lost control of his remote control helicopter. The craft crashed, falling so far that authorities believed it substantially risked the safety of others.

Not all the legal risks involving drones are faced by owners and operators. William H. Merideth, 47, of Hillview, Ky., shot down a drone flying over his house recently. He was charged with first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree wanton endangerment for discharging a firearm within city limits and destroying the $1,800 drone.

“They’re going to be like guns,” Harmon said of remotely piloted aircraft. “Most people with guns are responsible. Some are not.”

In May, an airliner approaching LaGuardia Airport in New York reported passing near a drone at an altitude of 2,700 feet. It was the third report of a drone near the airport that month. Even small drones can attain altitudes of 2,000 feet if restrictions are ignored, according to industry figures.

Other countries farther along in the commercial drone approval process have had near misses. A passenger liner coming in for a landing at London’s Heathrow Airport missed a drone in July 2014. Safety authorities in Britain ruled there had been a serious risk of collision after confirming witness accounts. Crew on the aircraft said their Airbus A320 passed within 20 feet of the drone, whose owner was never identified.

This year, a Lufthansa airliner crew flying from Munich to Warsaw on July 20 reported spotting a drone as the plane came in for a landing at its destination, passing within 100 meters or 330 feet on the approach.

Irresponsible drone operators do what they do to get pictures no one else can get if they follow the rules, Harmon said. Yet the irresponsible operators don’t get “bragging rights” unless they show the pictures somewhere — in effect, providing photographic evidence that they broke the rules.

“When we see a picture somebody posts on the Internet, we can tell when it was taken from higher than 500 feet,” he said.

“I’m on a Facebook page with a lot of other drone owners,” Harmon said. “We know some members of our group work for the FAA. We’re not stupid. We know they’re there, but don’t know exactly which ones they are because we don’t ask. But when somebody posts a picture, you can bet someone will respond with something like ‘Hey, that’s not right and here’s why.’ If he gets really detailed and cites a lot of rules, you can bet he’s with the FAA. ”

Even more effectively, Harmon said, FAA regulations can be written into the computer software that controls drones, Harmon said. Updates and patches to that software could add it, he said. Harmon bought a drone with computer software in it that will land the craft automatically if it flies within five miles of an airport, he said.

The landing would come after warnings to the operator he is approaching the airport. Not all models have that feature, but they could, he said.

“Sure, you can hack the software and get around it, but the average Joe can’t,” Harmon said. “You’d really have to know what you’re doing and be pretty good at it.”

A former volunteer firefighter for the Pea Ridge Fire Department, Harmon voluntarily piloted his drone in a search for two concert-goers in Oklahoma who went missing in a flood, he said. Their bodies were later found by others outside of the area Harmon was searching. Harmon used a camera attached to a drone to conduct thorough inspections of hard-to-reach places and to cover wide areas by flying a pattern over them.

“The advantage of a drone is that you can stay over an area, fly close to the ground and really examine a place closely,” he said. “We had people looking at the images from the drone flight on Facebook. If they thought they saw something, we’d go back and look at that spot.”

As for business potential, Harmon sees it as a sideline that will offer options to his existing photography business in the future.

“People hire me for the pictures I take with the camera in my hand, not for what I can do with a drone,” he said. “Real estate is going to be really big, though. People will be able to provide pictures that show the whole property from above.”

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/aug/03/drone-safety-record-good-so-far-2015080/?latest

Chicago Law Firm Secures Federal Approvals for Commercial Drone Use Under Firm’s Section 333 Filing Service

Posted on 03/08/2015 by mecicon

jeffreyantonelli

Growing number of commercial players in the emerging drone industry seek Antonelli Law’s drone law services to help secure clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct drone flights The attorneys of Antonelli Law, a leading Chicago-based drone law firm that specializes in federal commercial drone law, have secured a total of 11 Section 333 Grant of Exemptions, which allow operators of unmanned aircraft vehicles to conduct aerial surveillance for data collection and for a variety of other commercially-driven purposes.

The leading drone lawyers at Antonelli law offer a full spectrum of commercial drone law services that have helped clients in the real estate, engineering, and cinematography fields clear the FAA’S legal hurdles to be able to start flying drones in just a few months.

During July 2015 alone, the law firm’s team of legal and aviation experts have successfully secured four Section 333 approvals. Camera and video-equipped drones are increasingly being used by companies large and small to conduct aerial surveillance. And while thousands of U.S. commercial users want to seize on the potential of drones to leverage their businesses, only about 820 total petitions have been approved by the FAA as of July 2015.

The FAA is expected to finalize its laws for commercial drone operators within the next year, but until then, laws dictating commercial drone use will continue to evolve. Obtaining FAA approval for certain types of drone use has become easier in 2015. Recent changes that took effect earlier this year have allowed Antonelli Law’s Drone/UAS Practice Group to secure Section 333 approvals faster than ever—in as few as 90 days. Previously, every petition filed for commercial drone use had to be reviewed by the FAA on a case-by-case basis with full regulatory analysis and publication in the Federal Register.

Kansas City, Missouri-based engineering firm, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company Inc., is one of Antonelli Law’s latest clients to receive FAA approval. The company—which provides engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting solutions—received clearance on July 14 to operate a variety of small drones, including the DJI Inspire 1, Draganflyer X4-ES, and SenseFly eBee. Burns & McDonnell is one of several clients of Antonelli Law to obtain FAA approval within 90 days.

“The opportunity for Burns & McDonnell to start deploying drones for 3D aerial utility corridor mapping and infrastructure inspections will not only quicken our ability to deliver quality-driven results to our clients, but drones will undoubtedly increase the safety, productivity, and remote sensing options of our existing aerial data gathering operations,” said Steven Santovasi, department manager, geospatial services for Burns & McDonnell. “Federal drone law is not easy to navigate, however. Securing FAA approval to fly required us to engage the services of the drone law experts at Antonelli Law.”

While drones are showing their positive value in fields such as agriculture, architecture, construction, and real estate; smaller business owners interested in launching commercial drone operations often discover the pursuit to be anything but a low-cost, small-investment decision.

This summer, Antonelli’s Drone/UAS Practice Group launched “Drone Democracy,”—a lower-fee Section 333 service intended to help potential operators of commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) obtain expedited legal clearance from the FAA—as a way to help more commercial users be able to fly drones. Created as a division of Antonelli Law’s Drone/UAS Practice Group, “Drone Democracy” exclusively serves commercial UAS users seeking FAA approval to operate drones for small-scale uses like residential real estate and nature photography.

The firm also now assists clients with obtaining the FAA-required N Number registration, a required step in the process to be able to fly a drone also referred to as the “tail number,” which identifies each drone by a serial number.

Obtaining an N Number for drones obtained from outside the U.S. can be particularly difficult, but for a fee of $250 Antonelli Law will handle the lengthy, bureaucratic process of obtaining N Number registration for commercial drone users.

As an avid drone-user himself, Antonelli’s passion for the law intersects with his interest in flying unmanned aerial vehicles for fun. On his Drone Laws Blog, Antonelli regularly highlights updates in the FAA’s changing regulations for drone users and keeps followers updated with the latest Section 333 exemptions his firm has secured.

“We’re still on the brink of unearthing the many ways drones can aid in so many facets of society—from aiding in search and rescue missions to speeding-up survey work—we haven’t even begun to tap into the full benefits of drones,” Antonelli said.

For a full list of clients that have successfully secured Section 333 approval with the help of Antonelli Law, visit http://dronelawsblog.com/antonelli-law-clients-receiving-section-333-aproval-faa/.

Factoryville, PA native gets permission to fly drone for money

Posted on 02/08/2015 by mecicon

mattsch

BRENDAN GIBBONS

A Factoryville native is among the first Pennsylvanians to receive official permission to make money by flying drones.

Matt Sandherr, 33, operating under his fledgling business Diversified Drone, received a notice July 24 confirming he was exempt from certain Federal Aviation Administration regulations that would have stopped him from using his drone for commercial purposes.

Drone pilots have been able to fly their crafts as hobbyists for years, though FAA regulations have prohibited commercial use. The agency proposed new regulations in February that would clear the way for more commercial users. For now, seeking exemptions on a case-by-case basis has become the most common way to fly for money. The FAA granted the first exemption in July 2014 and has issued more than 900 since.

Mr. Sandherr’s application was submitted by Joseph Price of Corbett Price Law, a Scranton attorney trying to build his drone law practice. He submitted about 30 pages describing the drone’s airworthiness and Mr. Sandherr’s piloting ability. The user manuals that came with Mr. Sandherr’s DJI Phantom 2 drone were included in the application, he said.

“The Northeast Pennsylvania corridor is ripe for these kind of exemptions,” Mr. Price said. “(FAA officials) look for low-density populations.”

But Mr. Sandherr plans to explore the promise of drone flight outside Northeast Pennsylvania. He sold his Blakely-based car window tinting business, Mobile Tint Inc. Early this month, he packed up his drone and family and moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, where he hopes to start making promotional videos for charter fishermen and real estate firms, among others.

The drone can provide a new perspective on boating into a canal-front Florida property, he said.

“If you shot a nice drone video, you can, for real estate, demonstrate the trip in from the harbor…from an aerial point of view and share that with hundreds,” he said.

He recently made a video for a Florida friend who captains a fishing boat. It includes several aerial views of the boat cutting its way through brackish mangrove swamps.

“It was an amazing set of shots,” Mr. Sandherr said. “It just really illustrated the boat, the harbor, the set of islands.”

Mr. Sandherr began flying drones about three years ago, but has been interested in piloting since his first trip in a small plane around 10 years old. His first solo flight was one of the most exhilarating and terrifying experiences of his life.

“That’s the most incredible experience in the world, when somebody hops out and says, ‘I’ll be listening in on the radio, but if something goes wrong, it’s you,’” he said.

With its relatively low cost and versatility, the drone offers a new set of opportunities.

“It’s such an amazing piece of technology, the possibilities and the uses,” he said.

Around the country, aerial surveyors for farmers, mining companies and the oil and gas industry have received FAA permission, as have filmmakers and advertisers.

Mr. Price hopes other local drone operators will seek exemptions. He has also submitted an application for Access Aerial, started by University of Scranton systems administrators John Culkin and Lee DeAngelis. Theirs has not yet been granted.

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/factoryville-native-gets-permission-to-fly-drone-for-money-1.1921186

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