New regulations are being considered in the U.S. that would require a commercial pilot’s license, among other things, in order to fly a drone!
New FAA Regulations?
According to an article from the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the FAA may soon be proposing new regulations restricting the ability to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle, more commonly referred to as a drone, like the newest release from DJI called the Inspire 1.
Here are the key points of the new regulations:
- Conventional pilot licenses
- Stay under 400 feet, always within sight of your craft
- Daylight flying only
- Applies to any drone 55 pounds or less
Jim has said on the podcast numerous times how much he has loved using his drone to get shots that wouldn’t be possible in anything else but a rented helicopter session. Â While the drone industry is growing very rapidly, and new drone models offer better control, they certainly can be dangerous. Â There have been stories of the drones crashing while inside a cladera at Yellowstone and other places that have led to them being banned in many places in the U.S. already.
Still, this seems like it would almost entirely kill the use of drones in photography. Â Doesn’t it? Â The WSJ article says that the FAA is expecting to formally propose the new regulations by the end of 2014, when the public comment phase would start. Â So, if this is important to you, watch for it and make your voice heard.