The decision Thursday by the FAA to approve drones for filming movies in the U.S. will create opportunities for other industries -- from crop-dusting to map-making -- that see value in using unmanned aircraft, analysts and industry officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is considering requests to allow drones to be used in agriculture operations, land surveying and oil field inspections. On Thursday, six movie and television companies were granted the first permits for commercial drone flights in the continental U.S.
Those production companies convinced the FAA that they are capable of safely using drones in filming scenes, successfully navigating a regulatory process that now becomes a model for other businesses seeking approval, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. He singled out the "promise of new advances in agriculture and utility safety and maintenance."
"It's a crucial step in the safe integration" of drones into the aviation system, Foxx later told reporters during a conference call. "As we've seen, uses for unmanned aircraft are only limited by our imagination."
At least 40 additional waiver requests are pending for commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems, including from Amazon.com Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s BNSF Railway Co., according to the FAA.
Benjamin Trapnell, an aeronautics professor at the University of North Dakota who developed the school's unmanned aircraft study program, said he is considering filing an application allowing students to fly drones at the school.
"The fact that they're allowing anybody to do it from a commercial point of view is great," Trapnell said in an interview.
The FAA said it is working with a seventh company on a similar drone approval. The companies developed safety procedures with the help of the Motion Picture Association of America trade group, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said.
He also encouraged other industries to develop common practices for drone use applications. Businesses want to use drones for surveying, monitoring crops and inspecting electrical grids and pipelines, Huerta said.
While applauding the FAA's decision as an "important milestone," an Arlington, Va.-based trade group for the drone industry said the agency must continue working on other applications.
"The FAA can and must do more," Michael Toscano, president and chief executive office of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, said in an emailed statement.
The Hollywood companies, which include closely held Aerial MOB LLC and Pictorvision Inc., will be allowed to fly small drones carrying cameras on closed sets. The FAA said the aircraft must be inspected before each flight and may only be operated during the day. Any accidents or incidents must be reported.
The six companies filed almost identical petitions with the FAA on June 2 seeking to fly drones weighing less than 55 pounds no more than 400 feet from the ground within a "sterile area."
The aircraft would be operated by a licensed pilot aided by a spotter to ensure safety, according to the applications. Each operator would submit a written plan of operations to local FAA offices at least three days before shooting begins.
So far, film companies wanting to use drones have had to do their shooting in other countries with more permissive rules.
"This is a big deal for us today," Chris Dodd, chairman and chief executive officer of the Motion Picture Association of America, said. Drone technology allows for unique photography and is part of the industry's attempts to push boundaries and draw new audiences, Dodd said.
The six companies that received waivers are Aerial MOB, Pictorvision, HeliVideo Productions LLC, RC Pro Productions Consulting LLC, Astraeus Aerial and Snaproll Media LLC. Flying- Cam Inc., which has used drones overseas to capture sequences for the James Bond film Skyfall, is the seventh company still awaiting final FAA approval.
Prior to Thursday, the only approvals for commercial drone flights in the U.S. had been for aerial inspections in oil operations in the Arctic regions of Alaska. The FAA plans to propose regulations allowing broader commercial use of unmanned aircraft by the end of the year. A final rule is at least a year away.
Business on 09/27/2014