After years of hype and speculation about unmanned aerial vehicles doing everything from delivering packages to gathering video for news outlets, federal aviation regulators issued long-awaited commercial drone rules.
“In the next year most of us will have seen at least one or two of them flying over, then it will proliferate,” said Gartner analyst Gerald Van Hoy. “(The new rules) make it easier only because you are establishing some basic guidelines for flight and you have to have some place to start, and that’s basically what’s been holding everybody back.”
The Federal Aviation Administration’s new 624-page rule book on drones opens up the skies to unmanned aircraft but stops short of permitting the fully remote operations that analysts and industry players call crucial to expansion of commercial drone use and manufacturing.
“While the approved regulations are a step in the right direction for the drone industry, we still have a long way to go, specifically when it comes to long-distance, or beyond-visual-line-of-sight drones,” said Tero Heinonen, CEO of Sharper Shape in Palo Alto, which sells systems that use laser-equipped drones to inspect utility lines, oil and gas pipelines, railways, crops and forests.
The White House said industry estimates suggest commercial drone systems could add more than $82 billion to the economy over the next decade and create 100,000 new jobs.
Under the rules, commercial drone operators must be at least 16, get vetted by the Transportation Security Administration, and obtain a “pilot airman certificate” for small aircraft from the FAA. Drones must weigh less than 55 pounds, can’t be operated at night, can’t exceed 100 miles per hour or 400 feet of altitude or height above a structure, and can’t be flown over anyone not involved in the drone flight.
But the provision requiring drone operators to be able to see the aircraft at all times remains a major obstacle to growth in commercial drone use, Van Hoy said.
“The sooner beyond-visual-sight comes on the table the sooner you’ll start to see a proliferation of drones,” Van Hoy said. “I understand the FAA’s hesitation and I understand the reason why they’re starting where they’re starting because if anything goes wrong everyone’s going to look at them and blame them. You do want to be cautious. The stakes are high here.”
Stakes are high, too, for the drone industry, Van Hoy said. “There’s a lot of money on the table here,” he said. “There are a lot of industries, and they’re all interested in this stuff.”
The White House highlighted the new FAA rules’ potential to expand use of drones in agriculture, infrastructure checks, and scientific research such as waterway monitoring. Realtors are also expected to make increasing use of drone photography. However, if and when authorities allow fully remote drone operation without visual contact by the operator, drone-delivery will take off, Van Hoy said. Businesses will be able to send goods to other businesses, and companies will be able to carry products to customers. Amazon, DHL and UPS will be making deliveries from the sky, as will pharmacies such as Walgreens and Rite-Aid, Van Hoy predicted.
The FAA will work closely with state and local governments, airports, pilots and drone-related companies in coming months to ensure the new rules are implemented safely, the White House said.
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