With so many pilots and companies waiting in limbo for what has been years now the FAA has finally produced some guidelines on how multirotor pilots can finally legally operate and get paid. This all goes live on August 29th 2016. There is a fair bit of red tape to navigate but the US can finally wade full on into the waters on commercial UAS use which is an area we have been dreadfully lagging behind.
Now don’t go looking for drone delivery on Amazon just yet. This just allows the average pilot a way to get FAA certified to operate a UAS professionally. There hasn’t been any change that I am aware of in the autonomous operation of these devices. Does that mean Dominos will have a live pilot delivering your pie? Not likely because physical line of sight rules also apply which puts a bit of a damper on the FPV aspect of it. It looks like commercial pilots will be operating their multirotors the old fashioned way; from a ground based point of view. A bit of a bummer for sure but I am glad to FINALLY see some movement in this segment. As someone who has had an commercial idea sitting on the sidelines for some time I am glad I can finally give it a go without risking a hefty fine.
The FAA rules governing commercial use are as follows:
Pilot Requirements:
- Must be at least 16 years old
- Must pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center+
- Must be vetted by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA)
Aircraft Requirements:
- Less than 55 lbs.
- Must be registered
Operating Rules:
- Class G airspace*
- Must keep the aircraft in sight (visual line-of-sight)*
- Must fly under 400 feet*
- Must fly during the day*
- Must fly at or below 100 mph*
- Must yield right of way to manned aircraft*
- Must NOT fly over people*
- Must NOT fly from a moving vehicle*
I know will be signing up for testing as soon as it becomes available. That’s all I got for this time gang.
Keep the shiny side up!
-Evol
For more info regarding the legal use of your UAS check out the official FAA website here.
