FAA rules on drones eased for businesses

The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday announced a relaxation of rules for commercial drones that one backer said will lead to an era of flying robots for businesses in Hawaii.

The FAA’s first operational rules for the routine commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems will allow users age 16 or older to obtain a “remote pilot certificate” by paying $150 and passing an aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved test center.

The new “Part 107” requirements, which will go into effect in late August, are a whole lot easier than the current process for commercial drone operation, which requires a more complicated Section 333 exemption from the FAA and a manned aircraft pilot’s license — which by itself can cost $10,000, drone advocates say.

“We are part of a new era in aviation, and the potential for unmanned aircraft will make it safer and easier to do certain jobs, gather information, and deploy disaster relief,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a news release.

The new rule applies to drones weighing less than 55 pounds that are used for commercial purposes. Recreational drones fall under separate FAA requirements.

According to the FAA, the new rule could generate more than $82 billion for the U.S. economy and create more than 100,000 drone jobs over the next 10 years.

“With this new law passing, we predict there’s about to be a wave of new drone operations,” said Aaron Begle, director of operations for the Hawaii Drone Academy, a drone flight school and tradecraft business in Manoa.

He predicts the first big jump in legal use will be for video and photo service for weddings and home sales, followed by a surge in inspections for wind turbines and power lines, and other industrial uses.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo previously obtained permission from the FAA to use a drone to map the Puna lava flow. “The fishing industry — they are real big about getting into (drones) as well,” Begle said.

Begle predicts the surge in drone use will be like the introduction of desktop computers.

“The computer came out — it was nice and fancy and new, and all the businesses knew they wanted it,” he said. “They weren’t really sure how they needed it or why they wanted it.”

That will change as the practicality of drone use becomes realized, he contends. “So we think the drones are just going to start helping automate different parts of business,” he said.

Commercial drone use in Hawaii for weddings and other uses is already widespread — but illegally so, experts say, because the pilot license requirement in particular is difficult and costly, and many drone fliers simply don’t obtain it.

Operations such as Amazon won’t be dropping off packages under the new rule, as the FAA said the new provisions “are designed to minimize risks to other aircraft and people and property on the ground,” and require pilots to keep drones within visual line of sight.

Prohibited are flights over people on the ground who aren’t participating in the operation, and use is allowed only during daytime or twilight. The Hawaii Drone Academy said it will offer a free online course on the new rules. Its website is hawaiidroneacademy.com.

Since February, recreational fliers with drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds have been required to pay $5 and register the aircraft online with the FAA.

Privacy remains a big concern, with the FAA saying the new rule “does not specifically deal with privacy issues in the use of drones.” Nor does the FAA regulate how drones gather data on people or property.

The Wall Street Journal last month had two legal experts debate whether property owners should be allowed to prevent drone overflights. One said drone fliers are trespassing in 500 feet of airspace over private property, while the other said pilots and airlines contend with the FAA, not individual property owners, and that drones represent the “next frontier” in aviation.