FAA to Allow Commercial Drone Use

On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a rule that will allow the use of drones commercially, including for agricultural purposes. The FAA rule limits most small commercial drone operations to daylight hours and requires operators to get certified every two years. The FAA’s 624-page rulebook allows commercial drones weighing up to 55 pounds to fly during daylight hours lower than 400 feet in the air and the aircraft must remain in sight of the operator. The final rule has a 60-day comment period.

A White House fact sheet issued Tuesday says, for agriculture, unmanned aircraft can monitor crop health in real-time for farmers who are trying to manage farms. Further, the White House says by reducing the need for manned aircraft in agricultural operations, drones can help reduce fatal agricultural aviation accidents and can increase crop yields by providing higher-quality data about the ground below.

Source: NAFB News Service

Recommended Posts

Loading...