DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Arizona Real Estate Photographer Is First To Be Approved By FAA To Use Drones For Aerial Photography

Jan 7, 2015 by Tiffany Mueller 4 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

14539721843_74f0d502dd_kThough you’ve probably already seen your fair share of drone captured real estate photos, up until today, those images were taken illegally according to the policy currently in effect by the FAA. Presently, the FAA restricts nearly all commercial usage of drones. In order to legally operate a drone for commercial purposes, one must first request an exemption from the FAA’s rules. To date, the FAA has issued a mere 14 exceptions from a total of 214 requests.

Douglas Trudeau, a real estate photographer from Tuscon, Arizona, is now the proud new recipient of an exemption, making him the first (and only) real estate photographer on the exempt list. 

“The proposed exemption would allow Trudeau to operate the PHANTOM 2 Vision+ quad-copter unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to conduct aerial videography and cinematography to enhance academic community awareness for those individuals and companies unfamiliar with the geographical layout of the metro Tucson area and augment real estate listing videos.” –Trudeau’s exemption proposal from the official exemption docket.

While, the exemption does grant Trudeau, of Tierra Antigua Realty, to use a drone, it comes with stipulations, which are explained in this 28 page docket issued by the FAA.

When taking his PHANTOM 2 Vision+ and GoPro 3+(both of which are specifically mentioned in the docket) out, Trudeau must meet the requirements of the exemption which states there must be a certified FAA Private Pilot operating the drone. Such certification requires the drone pilot to be able to answer questions similar to the ones found on this test. The pilot must also have a current medical certificate and never lose sight of the drone. In addition to the pilot, Trudeau must also provide an observer to watch over the entire flight.

Though Trudeau’s approved exemption is definitely a step in the right direction, given the (sometimes outrageous) stipulations demanded by the FAA, it appears there’s still quite a ways to go before we see more widespread and legal use of drones for commercial photography.

What are your thoughts on the FAA’s ruling? Is it fair to require drones used for commercial purposes to be regulated by many of the same stipulations that flying a manned aircraft requires?

[ via TechCrunch | Photo by B Ystebo ]

 

 

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

FAA proposes an industry record $1.9 million fine against aerial photography drone company How A Photograph & A Bad Decision Made Millions Of TSA Approved Luggage Locks Useless Panasonic S1H becomes the first Netflix-approved mirrorless camera FAA now allows CNN to fly drones over crowds

Filed Under: news Tagged With: commercial photography, drone, FAA, real estate photography

Tiffany Mueller: from diyphotography.net

About Tiffany Mueller

Tiffany Mueller is a photographer based in Hawi, Hawaii. You can follow her Twitter here and her personal life here.

« NASA Reshoots Iconic Image 20 Years Later. Releases Hubble’s Largest Image Ever of Andromeda.
How Do You Compare To Famous Creatives And What Does It Say About Your Own Creativity? »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • This year’s Nature TTL POTY winner puts global warming right in our faces
  • TTArtisan announces super-low-budget 500mm f/6.3 super telephoto lens
  • NASA reveals five photos of space objects invisible to human eye
  • Tamron’s 17-50mm f/4 Di III VXD lens ships in October
  • Facebook now lets you (legally) have multiple profiles

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy