The Department of Transportation on Tuesday published final rules allowing commercial small drone flights in the U.S. for the first time.
Previously, only hobbyists or drone operators who received a special exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration have been allowed to operate drones weighing more than 55 pounds over U.S. skies.
Drone operators must pass a written test and security check; avoid flying over people; fly below 400 feet and stay at least five miles away from airports; and remain within visual sight of their aircraft, according to the rules.
The rules for these unmanned aerial vehicles will “enable more accurate science, move products around the country and protect public health and the environment,” the White House stated in a statement.
Specifically, these small drones will help in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure inspection, emergency assistance and disaster response, wildfire mitigation, weather forecasting, traffic monitoring and environmental protection, according to the White House.
“Since President Obama took office in 2009, aviation technologies have emerged that are powering a revolution in unmanned flight,” the White House stated. “The development of these technologies has made drones commercially available at scale for the first time.”
Commercial drones could become an $82 billion industry within a decade and support 100,000 jobs, the White House stated, citing industry estimates.
The Obama administration is following up on privacy protections regarding drone use President Obama issued in a memo last year. It was released along with an education campaign targeting commercial pilots and drone-operating companies.
The administration has established privacy policies for government-operated drones that also extend to federal contractors.
