New drone (UAS) laws make flying easier starting August 2016

Today the FAA came out with new regulations for flying UAS's (what people often call drones) commercially. And there was much rejoicing.

TLDR;

• You won't need a pilots license starting August 2016 to fly a drone commercially
• You will need
  • a remote pilot certificate (FAA Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application)
  • to pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test
  • to be at least 16yrs old and in good mental/physical health

According to the Part 107 Rule which details all the new requirements: "The estimated out-of-pocket cost for an individual to become FAA certified as a remote pilot with a small UAS rating is $150..." This is a 600 page document so whenever lawyers have given this a good looking through we'll post the other main points here.

For our clients this means that aerial photography will become much more accessible starting in August. Starting in August we will be offering aerial photography as a regular service that we can offer with out having to hire an expensive airplane pilot! I've reached out to the local 'Known Training Center' for more information on when and how we can get our certification.

What are we flying with these days? Here's the rundown (Amazon affiliate links):

• 3DR Solo
  • Solo Quadcopter
  • 3DR Solo Gimbal (a must have)
  • Extra batteries
  • Solo Backpack
  • Extra Propellers
• DJI Phantom 2, although I'd love to add the Phantom 4 to the arsenal
• 2 x GoPro Hero4

You can read today's FAA press release here.

Want us to do aerial photography for you? Contact us here!