8/11/2019 FAA Grants Drone Exemptions to Six Hollywood Companies _ Ars Technica

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9/26/2014 FAA grants drone exemptions to six Hollywood companies | Ars Technica

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/09/faa-grants-drone-exemptions-to-six-hollywood-companies/

FURTHER READING

FAA grants drone exemptions to six Hollywood

companiesCertificate of airworthiness will not be needed for these commercial drones.

Yuneec Technology had this sleek-looking drone, called Flying Eyes, at the National Broadcasters Association

conference in Spring 2014. It comes fully assembled for those who just need aerial images, not a weekend project.

Megan Geuss

On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration granted six aerial photo and video companies exemptions

from rules that make it difficult to use drones for commercial purposes in the United States. US

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx determined that drones used by these companies would notthreaten other aircraft or pose a national security threat.

Law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and the militaryhave

thus far been the primary drone operatorsin the US. Commercial

drones, especially those that are intended to make deliveries like

the one that will be launched by DHL in Germanythis week or the

ones proposed by Amazonand others, have generally not been

allowed since 2007. (Of course, people can use non-commercial

drones, and potentially crash them, with certain caveats.)

by Megan Geuss- Sept 25 2014, 4:45pm CDT 30

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8/11/2019 FAA Grants Drone Exemptions to Six Hollywood Companies _ Ars Technica

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9/26/2014 FAA grants drone exemptions to six Hollywood companies | Ars Technica

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/09/faa-grants-drone-exemptions-to-six-hollywood-companies/

GERMAN COMPANYTO USEPARCELCOPTERDRONE TO BRINGMEDICINE TOREMOTE ISLANDLogistics company DHL will regularly

fly drone without the use of a land-based

pilot.

The six firms, which include Astraeus Aerial, Aerial MOB,

HeliVideo Productions, Pictorvision Inc., RC Pro Productions

Consulting, and Snaproll Media, will certainly pave the wayfor

other commercial drone companies seeking to deploy their own

drones in agriculture, oil and gas, logistics, and other sectors as

well.

Back in June, the aerial video firms asked the agency to grant

exemptions from regulations that address general flight rules, pilot

certificate requirements, manuals, maintenance, and equipment

mandates, an FAA press release said.

To receive the exemptions, the photography and video firms had to

agree that the operators of the drones would hold private pilot

certificates, keep the UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] within line

of sight at all times, and restrict flights to the 'sterile area' on the

set, the FAA continued. In granting the exemption, FAA accepted

these safety conditions, adding an inspection of the aircraft beforeeach flight, and prohibiting operations at night. The agency also will issue Certificates of Waiver or

Authorization (COAs) that mandate flight rules and timely reports of any accident or incidents.

The Los Angeles Timesnotesthat movies like the James Bond movie Skyfalland this

summer'sTransformers: Age of Extinctionboth used drone footage, but that footage was shot in other

countries where use of drones was legal. Last spring, Ars Technica went to the National Broadcasters

Association (NAB) conference in Las Vegas, and drones were one of the most common itemsbeing shown

off to the television industry attendees on the show floor. Now, six companies, and possibly more, will be able

to use them legally.

The FAA said that it welcomed petitions from other interested parties and that it is considering 40 requests fo

exemptions from other commercial entities.