On June 21, 2016, the FAA issued its long-awaited regulations governing "Small Unmanned Aircraft," or drone operation. The regulations allow the use of drones weighing less than 55 pounds, traveling less than 100 mph groundspeed, and up to 400 feet above the ground, for a wide variety of purposes during daylight hours. The regulations allow that a drone may be operated only by "a remote pilot in command" who has passed a written test, is vetted by the Transportation Security Administration, and is at least 16 years old, or a person under his or her direct supervision. In addition, the drone must remain within visual line-of-flight, and flights over people or within five miles of an airport are prohibited. The regulations also contain a waiver mechanism to allow individual operations to deviate from many of the operational restrictions of these regulations if the proposed operation can safely be conducted under the terms of a certificate of waiver. At 624 pages, the regulations will be the subject of further review and comment. A full client alert will follow.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
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