FAA expects 600,000 commercial drones to fly next year
The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that 600,000 commercial drones could begin flying in the next year under comprehensive regulations that took effect Monday for remote-controlled aircraft.
The long-awaited rule basically gives a green light for businesses to fly drones weighing up to 55 pounds in sparsely populated areas up to 400 feet above ground during daylight hours and within sight of the pilot.
For comparison, about 320,000 planes that carry people are registered nationwide.
Before the rule took effect, more than 5,500 commercial drone operators had to ask the FAA for special permission to inspect utility lines, monitor agriculture or conduct aerial photography.
“The FAA’s role is to set a flexible framework of safety without impeding innovation,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. “With these rules, we have created an environment in which emerging technology can be rapidly introduced while protecting the safety of the world’s busiest, most complex airspace.”
The pilots must pass a written test of aviation knowledge; more than 3,000 people applied to take the test Monday.
Waivers will still be available for flights that don’t fit with the general rules if applicants demonstrate how they’ll reduce risks. The FAA granted 76 waivers Monday – 72 for night flights and a few for experimental programs such as CNN’s news-gathering over people and BNSF Railway’s inspections farther away than the pilot can see, Huerta said.
PrecisionHawk of Raleigh, N.C., announced Monday it received the first waiver to fly drones farther away than the pilot can see with technology that helps avoid hazards such as trees, power lines or other aircraft.
Thomas Haun, PrecisionHawk’s executive vice president, said a research program with FAA helped the company understand the complexities of flying over large farm fields, forests and mining operations.
“Today is a very important milestone in the evolution of our efforts to safely integrate unmanned aircraft into our national airspace system," Huerta said. “Now the FAA forecasts there could be as many as 600,000 unmanned aircraft used commercially during the first year after this rule is in place."
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Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the drone rules are part of a broader administration effort that encourages technology innovation in balance with safety measures. Automatic braking for trains and rules for autonomous cars are other areas where the administration is working, he said.
“Just as we’re seeing innovative technologies transforming our roads and our ports and our seaways, drones are also blazing an uncharted path that will continue to revolutionize our airspace," he said.
The appetite for drones is expected to be voracious. The industry anticipates the creation of 100,000 jobs and $82 billion in economic activity by 2025, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
Brian Wynne, the trade group’s CEO, said the flood of requests for commercial exemptions before the rule took effect “provides strong evidence” the industry “is poised for incredible growth.”
Airline pilots remain concerned about collisions with drones. The Air Line Pilots Association, a union representing 54,000 pilots, urged that drone pilots be given flight tests in addition to written tests.
The airline pilots also urged regulation of hobbyists, which Congress exempted from the rules for commercial drones.
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Hobbyists are expected to follow similar guidelines to the commercial rules for their flights. The FAA created a registry in December for all drone owners to provide educational materials and to help track down those who fly irresponsibly.
More than 530,000 people have joined the registry, Huerta said. Each of them could have more than one drone.
“A byproduct of that registry has been that consumers are finding out what those rules are, and hopefully we’ll have a better level of compliance going forward,” Foxx said.