Security concerns over drones is at an all-time high, especially after the Secret Service discovered a crashed drone on the White House front lawn last month. Not only do drones pose a potential threat to US National Security, but also to the aviation industry, personal privacy, and any private property that an out-of-control drone might crash into.
Yet, at the same time, drones hold a lot of promise. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that, in a period of three years, commercial drones can generate 70,000 jobs and add more than $13.6 billion to the US economy. Aside from pleasing your neighborhood hobbyist, drones have the power to revolutionize urban infrastructure management, the agricultural industry, search and rescue efforts, and even disaster response operations.
The FAA hopes to bridge the divide between threat and opportunity. They proposed new guidelines on the use of commercial drones, which are currently banned in the U.S. (with the exception a few dozen companies). Among the suggestions include the need to pass an aptitude test every two years, and undergo federal security checks. Drones must be operated during daylight, weigh less than 55 lbs, fly no faster than 100 mph, and fly no higher than 500 ft above ground. To protect privacy, commercial drones cannot be flown outside of the areas authorized for flight, and must remain in the “visual line of sight” (VLOS) of the operators.
The VLOS rule dealt a blow to Amazon’s dreams for “Prime Air,” a plan to use drones to deliver packages to customers in as little as 30 minutes.
Despite the disappointment, many analysts were pleasantly surprised by the leniency shown by the proposed regulations. The FAA administrator, Michael Huerta, commented,
“We want to maintain today’s outstanding level of aviation safety without placing an undue regulatory burden on an emerging industry.”
The final rules will be set in two to three years from now; in the meantime, the FAA is asking for your input. When they are officially published, you’ll have 60 days to comment on them, via regulations.gov.
