FAA seeking drone rules favorable to commercial operators
FILE
- In this Jan. 20, 2015 file photo, the Aerialtronics Altura Zenith
drone is seen at an event at the National Press Club in Washington. An
economic analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration indicates the
agency, citing economic and safety benefits, is seeking regulations
largely favorable to companies that want to use small drones. The
analysis, which was posted online, describes draft rules that would
clear the way for widespread use of small drones for all manner of
chores, including aerial photography, crop monitoring, and inspections
of cellular towers, bridges and other tall structures. (AP
Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON
(AP) — The government is readying rules largely favorable to companies
that want to use small drones for commercial purposes, according to a
federal analysis, potentially leading to the widespread flights by
unmanned aircraft performing aerial photography, crop monitoring,
inspections of cell towers and bridges and other work.
An
economic analysis by Federal Aviation Administration, which was
inadvertently posted online, describes draft rules submitted by the
agency in October to the White House budget office to review. In
response to inquiries, the FAA said in a statement late Saturday that it
will officially release the rules on Sunday.
The
regulations would apply to drones weighing less than 55 pounds. They
would improve safety by using small, lightweight unmanned aircraft
instead of heavier, manned aircraft that "pose a higher level of risk,"
the analysis said. It notes that between 2004 and 2012, there were 95
fatalities involving climbers working on cell and other towers.
If
the rules would prevent only one fatality by using a small drone
instead of a tower climber, the $9.2 million saved — the amount the
government says is the economic value of a single life — would exceed
the entire cost of the regulations to society, according to the
document.
The
analysis does not offer a total estimate on the annual economic benefit
of regulations, but says it would exceed $100 million a year. For
example, about 45,000 annual bridge inspections could be conducted with
small drones. Most bridge inspections currently employ hydraulic mobile
cranes called "snoopers." The average cost of an inspection using a
snooper is $3,250. Cable bridge inspections are even more expensive
because they often require a 200-foot aerial lift.
The
Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, an industry
trade association, estimates that small, commercial drones will create
70,000 jobs with an economic impact of more than $13.6 billion in the
first three years after their integration into U.S. skies.
The analysis doesn't address jobs that might be displaced by drones, like some types of pilots.
The
FAA currently bans all commercial drone flights except for those by a
small number of companies that have been granted waivers. Congress has
been leaning on the FAA to move faster on regulations that would allow a
wide variety of companies to employ drones for everything from
monitoring pipelines to delivering pizzas. Under a law passed in 2012,
the FAA was to issue final regulations by September 2015, but that
appears unlikely.
Even
if the White House approves the FAA's proposal, the agency is still
required to offer it for public comment. Tens of thousands of comments
are anticipated, and it could take two to three years for the agency to
address them before issuing final regulations.
The
document indicates the agency has dropped its insistence that drone
operators have the same licenses and medical certificates required for
pilots of manned aircraft. Industry officials complained that obtaining a
private pilot license or medical certificate would be unnecessarily
burdensome.
Commercial
operators would have to take an aerospace knowledge test administered
by the FAA before they could receive a certificate granting permission
to operate a drone. The agency estimates the cost to operators of
obtaining certificate at about $300.
A private pilot license can cost thousands of dollars because it requires many hours of experience flying a plane.
Operators
would have to keep drone flights under 500 feet in altitude, which is
below where most manned aircraft fly. That's 100 feet higher than the
agency typically has approved in waivers to commercial operators.
But
the draft rules would still prohibit drones from flying farther away
than they can be seen by their operator, and nighttime flights would
remain banned. The line-of-sight requirement would preclude delivery
drone of the type envisioned by Amazon. Google is also experimenting
with such drones.
Industry
officials have chafed at both restrictions, saying they significantly
reduce the usefulness of unmanned aircraft. The FAA's concern is that
with no pilot on board, the operator on the ground is best able to
prevent a collision with another aircraft by keep the drone in sight at
all times.
Drone
operators would also have to be checked out by the Transportation
Safety Administration to determine whether they pose a security threat
before they could receive an FAA operator certificate. There is no fee
for the security check, but one might be applied in the future, the
analysis said.
Last
month, a small drone flew over the White House fence and crashed on the
lawn. Although the operator later came forward saying the incident was
an accident, the episode has raised concern that small drones might pose
a security threat.
Agriculture
is expected to become one of the first industries to embrace drones.
Helicopter drones that are widely used for spraying crops in Japan would
not fall under the FAA rules because they weigh significantly more than
55 pounds. But the rules would apply to small drones that monitor crops
to better target watering or for mapping fields.
The FAA analysis was first reported by Forbes on Saturday.
___
Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy
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FAA seeking drone rules favorable to commercial operators
WASHINGTON
(AP) — The government is readying rules largely favorable to companies
that want to use small drones for commercial purposes, according to a
federal analysis, potentially leading to the widespread flights by
unmanned aircraft performing aerial photography, crop monitoring,
inspections of…
Associated Press
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