New FAA Rules Concerning Drones

New FAA Rules Concerning Drones

Earlier this week, the FAA released new rules concerning small unmanned aircraft or drones will ease the burden on ag producers who are wanting to use drones on their farm or ranch. Law firm Dorsey & Whitney partner Jamie Nafziger says that there are three major changes. First is that the waiver to fly commercially has been done discontinued. She explains the second which is the operator qualifications to fly drones
Nafziger: “In the past it had to be someone with a pilot’s license. So somebody who had done a number of flight hours and have passed all of the certifications to become a pilot. Now you just need somebody who has a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating. It is more of a class you take — you take some knowledge exams and get a certification. I’ve heard it may cost about $150. So it is a much easier certification to get. There will be more operators available for farmers or a farmer could become an operator if they wanted to.”
She shares the third positive change
Nafziger: “I think that it will be easier to cover more land with your drone more quickly. In the past, you had to only fly the drone within the visual line of sight of the person operating the drone. Now you can have an assistant — they call them a visual observer and as long as they are communicating with the person who is operating the drone you could have two or more people watching the drone while it flies over a bigger part of the land.”
She adds that it is also important to be aware of your local and state laws surrounding drones as well.

 

Previous ReportWhat Might an EU Exit for Britain Mean for U.S. Ag
Next ReportRegional Weekly Hay Report