Lightweight drones “can monitor crop health in real time for farmers who are trying to manage farms that are hundreds or even thousands of acres,” says the White House in hailing the release of U.S. ground rules for commercial use of the aircraft. “We are in the early days of an aviation revolution that will transform how we gather information about our world, enable more accurate science, move products around the country, and protect public health and the environment.”
The regulation issued by the Federal Aviation Administration for drones weighing less than 55 pounds restricts the craft to daytime use and within visual line-of-sight of the operator or an observer with a maximum speed of 55 mph and altitude of 400 feet — similar to earlier proposals.
Although it does not set privacy regulations, the FAA “strongly encourages all UAS [drone] pilots to check local and state laws before gathering information through remote sensing technology or photography.” The agency also said it would provide recommended privacy guidelines to pilots as part of the certification process.