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U.S. gov't unveils rules for commercial drones

Xinhua, June 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

The U.S. government on Tuesday issued the first operational rules that will allow routine commercial use of drones, formally known as small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), in the nation's airspace.

The new regulations, which apply to drones weighing less than 55 pounds (25 kilograms), require remote pilots to keep the aircraft within visual sight and prohibit flights over unprotected people on the ground.

Operations are allowed during daylight and during twilight, 30 minutes before official sunrise or 30 minutes after official sunset, if the drone has anti-collision lights.

Drones must stay at least five miles (eight kilometers) from airports and cannot fly faster than 100 miles (161 kilometers) per hour.

The new rules also established a maximum flight altitude of 400 feet (122 meters) to create a safe buffer between unmanned and manned aircraft, which can generally fly no lower than 500 feet (152 meters).

The person actually flying a drone must be at least 16 years old and have a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating, or be directly supervised by someone with such a certificate.

To qualify for a remote pilot certificate, an individual must either pass a written knowledge test every 24 months or have an existing non-student pilot certificate.

The U.S. government will conduct a security background check of all remote pilot applications prior to issuance of a certificate.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration said it will offer a process to waive some restrictions if an operator proves the proposed flight will be conducted safely under a waiver.

"We are part of a new era in aviation," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "We look forward to working with the aviation community to support innovation, while maintaining our standards as the safest and most complex airspace in the world."

The White House estimated in a background statement that commercial unmanned aircraft systems could generate more than 82 billion dollars for the U.S. economy and create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. Endite