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U.S. drone operators seek permission to fly out of direct sight
Drones used for clean-up and repair after storm damage, monitoring ground conditions.
Dave Kolpack, The Associated Press on September 19, 2016
As thousands of commercial drones take to the skies under new Federal Aviation Administration rules, some small operators are pursuing a coveted exemption that would allow them to fly their drones where they can’t be seen by the pilot.
The companies who want them say the so-called line-of-sight exemptions are essential to someday use drones for such tasks as cleanup and repair after storm damage and monitoring widespread crop conditions.
But thus far, the FAA has only given exemptions to three companies that participated in a year-long FAA pilot program: CNN, BNSF Railway and the drone data company PrecisionHawk. Although some small commercial drone operators say the new rules are too restrictive, the agency says it drafted them in a way that will save lives, minimize damage on the ground and address the concerns of commercial airline pilots.
Matt Dunlevy, whose Grand Forks-based SkySkopes is pursuing an exemption to help provide services such as infrastructure inspections, said it’s “extremely important” to expand the waiver program.
“That is the silver bullet that’s really going to unlock the potential in our industry,” he said.
The FAA expects there will be 600,000 commercial drone aircraft operating in the U.S. within the year, with ultimate plans to have them inspect bridges and rail and transmission lines, assist firefighters, shoot movie footage, gather news, and deliver products, among other uses.
PrecisionHawk, which is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, represents customers in the agriculture, mining, forestry, insurance and telecommunications industries, among others. One of their clients, DuPont Pioneer, is researching the use of drones for improving crop efficiency and practices for growers.
“First and foremost, safety is the top priority,” said Lia Riech, PrecisionHawk’s vice-president of marketing. “We also want to continue pushing the boundaries. Obviously it’s important for us to cover the acreage that is representative of our clients.”
It’s difficult to know which companies are pursuing exemptions, as the FAA won’t identify applicants. Dunlevy, the SkySkopes chief executive, estimates that fewer than 50 companies would qualify.
U.S. drone operators seek permission to fly out of direct sight
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