Xiaomi Drone

The Federal Aviation Administration today released long-awaited regulations for the commercial use of drones.

The rules apply to those who want to operate non-hobbyist drones—for things like crop monitoring, bridge inspections, rescue operations, aerial photography, and maybe even a few special deliveries. They must weigh less than 55 pounds and not fly higher than 400 feet off the ground or within 400 feet of a structure. Drones can also only fly in the daylight or during twilight hours if they are equipped with anticollision lights. Max speed is 100mph, and pilots must keep their drone within visual line-of-sight (no binoculars).

Those pilots must be at least 16 years old, and either obtain a remote pilot certificate or be supervised by someone who has one; they can be obtained at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center. If you already have a Part 61 pilot certificate, you can fly provided you have completed a flight review in the previous 24 months and you take a small UAS online training course provided by the FAA.

"We are part of a new era in aviation, and the potential for unmanned aircraft will make it safer and easier to do certain jobs, gather information, and deploy disaster relief," US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.

The FAA will offer a process to waive some restrictions, from flying over people to operating several drones at once. Pilots can apply online for these waivers via a Web portal launching soon.

Otherwise, "you can't fly a small UAS over anyone who is not directly participating in the operation, not under a covered structure, or not inside a covered stationary vehicle," according to the FAA, which also bans operations from a moving vehicle unless you are flying over a sparsely populated area.

"With this new rule, we are taking a careful and deliberate approach that balances the need to deploy this new technology with the FAA's mission to protect public safety," Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement.

"The new rules codify common sense, making it easier for a farmer to fly a drone over his fields, for a contractor to inspect property without climbing a ladder, and for a rescue service to use drones to save lives," said Jon Resnick, policy lead for unmanned aerial vehicle maker DJI.

According to the White House, the expansion of commercial drones could add $82 billion in economic value and 100,000-plus jobs to the US by 2025.

Drone rules have been in the works for several years. In 2012, President Obama signed the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, which included a mandate to loosen up the restrictions and integrate commercial drones into the National Airspace System. In 2013, the Transportation Department revealed its long-term plan for making that a reality, and has since been granting waivers and setting up test sites throughout the US. Last year, the FAA took the first step toward allowing the expanded use of commercial drones in the US with a proposal that garnered 4,600 public comments, and helped inform today's final rules.