The Verge: The Federal Aviation Administration is considering loosening its restrictions and allowing drones to be flown over crowds. The proposals, which were first unveiled on Monday, introduce three categories for drones, with varying restrictions on how they could be flown over people. In addition, flying drones at night, which is currently only allowed with explicit permission from the FAA, would be allowed if the drone is equipped with anti-collision lighting and if the pilot completes special training.
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3 comments:
This article caught my eye because I didn't even know that drones weren't allowed to be flown over crowds (probably due to naiveté about Drones). Even though the article was short it brings up concisely that drones are serious and potentially dangerous devices that have shut down airports like the one in London. I've seen many promotion videos and videos in general shot by drone and thinking back I can't remember if the videos shot crowds or not. I wonder if the operators of the drones were in the know about this FAA ban. I also wonder what certifications people flying drones have, as I know several kids in my grade that lived in my dorm last year that owned drones. I find it interesting to learn that the FAA has strict rules in the US about drones and how they can be flown or not flown. I find it interesting because the way that my fellow CMU students talk about drones makes it sound like they are playthings that people just use like someone shooting a model rocket up in the air. However, it makes sense that the FAA has strict rules about drowns.
I found this article interesting as, back at home, I used to fly drones with my friends, often shooting videos, relatively often. Because of this, I like to think that I am well versed in drone laws in the US. The law about not flying over crowds is something I have known about for quite some time, but something that my opinion on has changed recently. At first, I totally agreed with this law. It just made sense...the concept of a drone falling out of the sky and hurting someone seemed very real. As drones got more and more advanced, however, this fear went away. With this new technology, things like loss of connection to the remote forces a drone to return to where it took off...not fall out of the sky. A drone being low on battery does the same thing. Due to this new technology, I think it is good that the FAA is rethinking this law.
Much like what DJ said, I have a lot of experience flying drones back home for aerial photography so I consider myself pretty well versed in US drone laws. There has always been a vagueness around UAE laws in the US due to the fact that they change from state to state and even from county to county in some locations so civilian knowledge of local drone laws can get confused very easily. I have always thought the law about flying over crowds was unusual because, with today’s drone technology, it is nearly impossible for a drone to fail out of nowhere and simply drop out of the sky. Short of running the UAE into a solid object, falling out of the sky is really a problem of the past. I find it really promising that the FAA is modifying their laws that are still relatively new to accompany developing technology in a developing industry.
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