FAA releases rules and regulations for commercial drone use

The Federal Aviation Administration has finally come out with rules and regulations for commercial drone use. According to commentators, it had been a long time coming for many businesses who see a bright future for commercial drones.

Scottsdale-based GNAT Warfare, started working on development of heavy duty drones a few years ago. The drones could carry the weight of a DSLR camera which allowed them to shoot for Hollywood movies or programmes on the Discovery Channel.

However, with increasing drone use, the FAA began to take notice and initiated steps towards regulating the industry.

According to George Ford, co-owner of GNAT Warfare, the rules became confusing.

"It was so fluid. It changed daily," Arizona-focused online local news and information site azfamily.com quoted Ford.

Due to clarity issues with the rules, GNAT suspended its drones business and focused its interests elsewhere.

Initially, the FAA required commercial drone pilots to get a real pilot license or file for a 3-33, a process entailing thousands of dollars in costs of training and lawyer fees. 

However, with the new rules the process has become simpler and cheaper.

According to James Arrowood of Arrowood Attorney's the development would open the door for expansion in the commercial drone industry.

"They go to a flight training center and they go over the basic rules and take an exam," Arrowood said.

Meanwhile, according to commentators, the main concern that caused the delay in issuing regulations had to do with fatal mid-air collisions with commercial and airline aviation.

The industry recently saw more mid-air collisions, and the FAA wanted to ensure that the new rules prevented that, and also prevented harm to people on the ground.

The Airline Pilots Association, which represents 53,000 pilots, had commended the way the rules prevented such potential accidents.

According to estimates of the industry, the rules would generate in excess of $82 billion for the US economy and create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years.