Great news from the AMA: The FAA has clarified its rules (which were assumed but not confirmed) that private use of drones over their own property is allowed now:
November 25th… In an online news story by Oklahoma City Channel 9 News, FAA effectively endorsed AMA’s safety guidelines for the personal use of sUAS for agricultural applications. As reported by Justin Dougherty…
“Farmers may operate an unmanned aircraft over their own property for personal use … Guidelines for the operation of model aircraft, such as those published by the Academy of Model Aeronautics, may be used by farmers as reference for safe model UAS operations.”
PL 112-95 enacted by Congress as part of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, provides that individuals operating small unmanned aircraft (model aircraft) for personal use may do so within the programming of a recognized community-based organization (AMA) and in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines.
Click the link below to read the Channel 9 report…
Oklahoma Farmers Use Drones To Monitor Crops, Cattle
Comments
A small but a good start. :)
Hooray for the FAA having a brain.
Yeah... this is what terrifies me. We have reasonable regulations now, but I know that as soon as the FAA does something, Transport Canada will follow. They have even said as much. And I just know what whenever the FAA finally comes up with regulations, they will not be reasonable.
I wonder what implications this could have for Transport Canada guidelines?
John's, I'm with you.
I personally know of at least one person who has been authorized by their local FAA office that it was completely fine for them to fly UAV's for a business purpose. In this case, aerial photography, which we all know is a big no-no with the FAA.
It seems to me like not everybody in the FAA regional offices has got the message from the top (shocking that would even be possible). I really suspect that might be the case here again. If something should happen and the FAA decides to throw the book at them, what is going to happen? They even got the authorization from their local office in a semi-formal written letter.
I don't think it's a publicity stunt, just a miscommunication. Yeah, farmers have always been able to fly their Hangar 9 Piper Cub models for fun over their own properly. Stick a camera on it to monitor your crops which are you going to be selling, then no.
To follow up on John Arne Birkeland's comment, I have an uncomfortable feeling. Tracing this story back from the DIYD blog post comments you are now reading, to the AMA blog post, to the Channel 9 reporter's news item, I see a quote that was attributed to the FAA. I don't see a named source of that quote who is in an FAA management/executive position. Perhaps we will hear more "clarification" soon.
News at eleven.. Farmers can fly R/C at their own private property, like that always have been able to. Am I the only one thinking this is just a PR stunt designed by FAA to try and ease off the pressure to get legislation up and running?
Indeed a great news
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