FAA to Drastically Restrict Drone Flight (You May Need A Pilot License To Fly One)

WSJ reports that there are going to be some changes to the laws concerning drones that could have serious impact on photographers and videographers.

The major one is a requirement for a pilot license for commercial work, which is harsh enough, but there is more :

• Conventional pilot licenses mean that the pilot will have to have flown manned aircraft for dozens of hours
• Stay under 400 feet and always within sight of your craft
• Fly only during daylight
• These rules would apply to any drone 55 pounds or less

The above set of rules or needing a license for commercial drones seems to be becoming a standard, we wrote about this happening in Canada a while back, so this could be the second step in this regulation spreading world wide.

The WSJ article states,

Drone proponents say the U.S.’s regulatory approach is less accommodating than in other countries. This month, Canada plans to issue blanket approval for all commercial operations that use drones weighing less than 4.4 pounds as long as they comply with certain safety standards, such as altitude limits and no-fly zones around airports.

The FAA is expected to propose this before the end of 2014 and will have a public comment phase so stay tuned for any further developments on this to have the ability to voice your feedback.

[via The Verge]