News Articles and Laws about Drone/Quadcopter Photography : Drone Laws
My Quad-Copter is only one tool in photography I 'had' available. For instance, when I do Real Estate homes, it often is not needed to be flown, though still extremely useful in handheld photography due to the floating camera assembly attached to it. I also use it on a pole and still get wonderful aerial photographs.
Pricing your project Here
News
August 29 2016 August 29 official rulings begins : Small UAS rule : Remote Pilot in Command : : : :
June 2016 : "FAA Reauthorization of 2017 and Drones" jrupprechtlaw.com/faa-reauthorization-2017-drones
Currently there are no laws against using Quadcopters/drones in commercial endeavors. However, there are regulations being refined and in courts.
June 7, 2016 : A Comprehensive Guide To America's Drone Laws::
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/is-flying-a-drone-illegal-a-comprehensive-guide-to-americas-drone-laws
February 11, 2016 "The Micro Drone Rule is now officially part of the language of HR 4441, the FAA Reauthorization Act, a/k/a the AIRR Act" Read Here
... [the drone/quadcopter I use is well below 4.4pounds which the bill allows to be used for commercial photography ie.real estate]
February 2, 2016 SEC. 338. MICRO UAS OPERATIONS this will exempt drones (such as mine) as being exempted, allowing it to be used for commercial purposes. H.R.4432 - 114th Congress click here
November 18, 2014(5) Judge sets Drones Back into FAA's Hands : But nothing from Congress yet..
Flying quadcopters/drones, is completely legal. Currently with no laws from congress, the FAA simply does not want people flying them for commercial purposes. Their issue is not in the use of drones, but for some reason they want to control the money aspect. But as of this date the United States Congress has yet to pass any laws. They are pressing the FAA to come up with some kind of 'fair use' rules that can then be approved by Congress.
Please read the next link for more detailed information:
http://dronelawjournal.com/ Please click link and read complete information
"Despite what you might have seen, heard or read to the contrary; despite the FAA’s claim that it has authority over RCMA; despite the FAA having sent several cease and desist letters, (obtained recently via FOIA request by Attorney...), to persons who were operating RCMA for commercial purposes, there exists not a single federal statute, not a single federal regulation and no case law that in any way regulates the operation of RCMA.
None."
http://dronelaw.com http://www.droneadvocates.org
Blog on current trends Drone Advocate for Fire Departments, Police, First Responders...
UPDATES:
August 25, 2016 http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=86205 FAA begins official rulings August 29 : Small UAS rule
February 11, 2016 New Commercial Drone Bill : New bill in Congress for drone/quads that weigh 4.4 pounds or less and will allow them to be used for commercial purposes such as real estate... http://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/daviro_038_xml.pdf
My drone/quadcopter weighs well under 4.4pounds which means useable for commercial purposes..
This is good news for all of us.. :)
February 2, 2016 : "It's in the "Commercial UAS Act," and it's stated purpose is "To establish an interim rule for the operation of small unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes, and for other purposes." “SEC. 338. MICRO UAS OPERATIONS
Note: This makes my drone/quadcopter available for commercial use since it meets the criteria of exemption..
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4432/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A[%22commercial%20uas%22]%7D&resultIndex=1
Lawsuit against FAA for Drone Registration February 2016
http://techfreedom.org/post/139547849574/techfreedom-sues-the-faa-on-drone-regulations
http://www.suasnews.com/ International Updates
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/interpretations/data/interps/2015/Williams-AFS-80%20-%20%282015%29%20legal%20interpretation.pdf PDF Document
Photographs taken as a hobby can be sold later and are not apart of the FAA commercial discussions
http://www.faa.gov/uas/publications/media/RTFARCFinalReport_11-21-15.pdf PDF Document
November 21, 2015 FAA Task Force for Registration report
http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=399335__
October 7, 2015 Government Hearing : Ensuring Aviation Safety in the Era of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
http://bonelaw.com/criminal-drone-laws-take-effect/
July 1, 2015 Tennessee law says no drone over crowds larger than 100, " into fireworks displays, or over jails."
https://rotor.com/Publications/RotorNews/tabid/843/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7570/BREAKING-NEWS-House-to-Release-FAA-Overhaul-Bill.aspx
June 25, 2015 "The bill is expected to include provisions that would pull the air traffic control system out of federal hands.."
http://photographyforrealestate.net/2015/06/04/whats-the-status-of-us-small-drone-rules-that-apply-to-real-estate-photography/
June 4, 2015 Summary of debate. FAA thoughts. Legal thoughts. Currently no laws...
http://www.provideocoalition.com/drone-law-update-faa
May 17, 2015 "...we STILL do not have an enforceable LAW prohibiting commercial use in the U.S."
http://droneoperatorsadvisor.com Advice for Realtors
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/02/15/heres-what-drone-advocates-love-and-hate-about-the-faas-proposed-rules/
February 16, 2015 Proposed Rules for UAV Systems
http://science.house.gov/hearing/unmanned-aerial-systems-research-and-development
January 21 2:30pm 2015 : Hearing on UAV systems
January 2015 http://www.faa.gov/uas/law_enforcement/ PDF
'FAA request for local police : 'Law Enforcement Engagement with Suspected Unauthorized UAS Operations'
Youtube: Congressional Hearing Video: U.S. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Integration, Oversight, and Competitiveness Congressional Hearing
December 10, 2014
http://youtu.be/R_1U0VRscH8
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/national-world/government-politics/ap/congress-told-us-lags-other-nations-on-drones/article_8045b2a4-7ad6-5150-be1d-db7c8b1f479b.html
December 10, 2014 "Peggy Gilligan, the FAA's associate administrator for safety, told the committee that delays in issuing regulations for small drones are "beyond what any of us think acceptable," she but assured lawmakers they would see proposed regulations very soon."
http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/12/06/congress-drone-hearing-faa/
December 7, 2014 "Congress wants to know FAA plans... Hearing scheduled December 10..."
http://riponadvance.com/news/unmanned-aircraft-systems-topic-hearing/9898
December 10, 2014 "The House of Representatives’ Aviation Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), will hold a hearing on the implementation of unmanned aircraft systems in U.S. airspace on Wednesday"
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2014/12/07/faa-flying-blind-drone-regulation/OO4HIaE4HQv037gJ2PbXyL/story.html
December 7, 2014 "Meanwhile, other national regulators have taken a smarter approach. Canada recently loosened rules for commercial drones weighing less than 55 pounds, and effectively ended regulation of those weighing under 4.4 pounds. Australia and the United Kingdom are also considering special certification for low-altitude, low-weight drones."
How Canada set their drone/quad regulations. 2 Kilograms = 4.4 pounds
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/ac-600-004-2136.html
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/drone-flights-face-faa-hit-1416793905-lMyQjAxMTA0OTIwMzkyODMwWj
November 24, 2014 "Highly anticipated federal rules on commercial drones are expected to require operators to have a license and limit flights to daylight hours, below 400 feet and within sight of the person at the controls, according to people familiar with the rule-making process."
http://photographyforrealestate.net/2014/11/18/real-estate-videographyphotography-with-drones-is-over-for-a-while/
November 19, 2014 New ruling ups the Debate to have Fair Laws Passed : Judge says FAA can make rules ... for now.
Here is the pdf of the Ruling : http://www.ntsb.gov/legal/pirker/5730.pdf
Current FAA policies : however no laws from Congress have yet to be passed which is keeping the debate alive.
The main issue seems to be the 'not for commercial use' policy. Which stagnates Realtors the most.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/
http://www.faa.gov/uas/publications/model_aircraft_operators/
https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/model_aircraft_spec_rule.pdf
http://www.realtor.org/articles/nar-meets-with-faa-on-uavs
October 17, 2014 "NAR meets with FAA on UAVs : ...permits a commercial UAV industry to flourish and allows Realtors to safely use the technology if they choose to do so. FAA officials stated that they were moving forward with the proposed rulemaking for publication in Nov., 2014.."
http://thehill.com/regulation/221788-eight-industries-that-want-to-fly-drones
October 25, 2014 Eight Industries That Want To Fly Drones
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/19/us-faa-drones-idUSKBN0FO02W20140719
"June 18 2014 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's informal email orders enforcing its drone policy are not legally binding, a federal court ruled in a case filed by a Texas group."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-usa-aircraft-unmanned-idUSBREA2618P20140307
"March 7, 2014 (Reuters) Administrative law judge ... dismissed the fine on Thursday and ruled that the agency's prohibition was not enforceable because it was based on a policy statement outside of the formal rule-making process.
https://gigaom.com/2014/07/21/search-and-rescue-drones-fly-again-after-court-throws-out-faa-case/
"While the FAA has declared that nearly every commercial use of drones is banned, the agency does not appear to have the legal authority to impose such a measure."
"The next big test for the FAA will come in a case over a commercial photographer in Virginia, where the FAA is appealing a lower ruling that it had no authority to impose a $10,000 fine.
The current law over civilian drones is not a free-for-all, however. The FAA does possess clear authority to regulate them near airports, while state and city authorities can also enforce privacy and public order laws against people who use drones irresponsibly — like a New York man who flew one near hospital windows last week."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/09/24/litigation-pushes-back-against-faa-enforcement/
"September 24, 2014 (Washington Post) The latest round of litigation against the FAA began only a month ago. On August 22, hobbyists brought a series of lawsuits challenging the FAA’s prohibition on commercial drone flights. The lawsuits assert that the Notice of Interpretation on model aircraft is “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law, in excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations, and without observance of procedure required by law.”
http://dronelaw.net/
"Here is the FAA press release of September 25, 2014 permitting certain drone operations in the commercial production of TV programs and movies:.."
http://www.drone-laws.com/Tennessee/
Drone laws in Tennessee
http://dronepilotsassociation.com/
"The DPA's mission is to be a single entity that represents the interests of all small commercial and non-hobbyist drone pilots."
http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/current-uas-state-law-landscape.aspx
September 16, 2014 : Individual State Laws
http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/tech/2014/04/10/law-firm-first-tennessee-launch-drones-specialty/7549511/
April 10, 2014 Law Firm in Tennessee "... says the new group will focus on the "unique regulatory and legal issues" impacting the commercial and law enforcement issues surrounding this emerging technology."
http://www.modelaircraft.org/membership/membershipoptions.aspx_
http://www.provideocoalition.com/drone-law-update-faa
http://jrupprechtlaw.com/drone-law-blog
http://uavcoach.com/drone-certification/
Pricing your project Here
News
August 29 2016 August 29 official rulings begins : Small UAS rule : Remote Pilot in Command : : : :
June 2016 : "FAA Reauthorization of 2017 and Drones" jrupprechtlaw.com/faa-reauthorization-2017-drones
Currently there are no laws against using Quadcopters/drones in commercial endeavors. However, there are regulations being refined and in courts.
June 7, 2016 : A Comprehensive Guide To America's Drone Laws::
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/is-flying-a-drone-illegal-a-comprehensive-guide-to-americas-drone-laws
February 11, 2016 "The Micro Drone Rule is now officially part of the language of HR 4441, the FAA Reauthorization Act, a/k/a the AIRR Act" Read Here
... [the drone/quadcopter I use is well below 4.4pounds which the bill allows to be used for commercial photography ie.real estate]
February 2, 2016 SEC. 338. MICRO UAS OPERATIONS this will exempt drones (such as mine) as being exempted, allowing it to be used for commercial purposes. H.R.4432 - 114th Congress click here
November 18, 2014(5) Judge sets Drones Back into FAA's Hands : But nothing from Congress yet..
Flying quadcopters/drones, is completely legal. Currently with no laws from congress, the FAA simply does not want people flying them for commercial purposes. Their issue is not in the use of drones, but for some reason they want to control the money aspect. But as of this date the United States Congress has yet to pass any laws. They are pressing the FAA to come up with some kind of 'fair use' rules that can then be approved by Congress.
Please read the next link for more detailed information:
http://dronelawjournal.com/ Please click link and read complete information
"Despite what you might have seen, heard or read to the contrary; despite the FAA’s claim that it has authority over RCMA; despite the FAA having sent several cease and desist letters, (obtained recently via FOIA request by Attorney...), to persons who were operating RCMA for commercial purposes, there exists not a single federal statute, not a single federal regulation and no case law that in any way regulates the operation of RCMA.
None."
http://dronelaw.com http://www.droneadvocates.org
Blog on current trends Drone Advocate for Fire Departments, Police, First Responders...
UPDATES:
August 25, 2016 http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=86205 FAA begins official rulings August 29 : Small UAS rule
February 11, 2016 New Commercial Drone Bill : New bill in Congress for drone/quads that weigh 4.4 pounds or less and will allow them to be used for commercial purposes such as real estate... http://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/daviro_038_xml.pdf
My drone/quadcopter weighs well under 4.4pounds which means useable for commercial purposes..
This is good news for all of us.. :)
February 2, 2016 : "It's in the "Commercial UAS Act," and it's stated purpose is "To establish an interim rule for the operation of small unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes, and for other purposes." “SEC. 338. MICRO UAS OPERATIONS
Note: This makes my drone/quadcopter available for commercial use since it meets the criteria of exemption..
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4432/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A[%22commercial%20uas%22]%7D&resultIndex=1
Lawsuit against FAA for Drone Registration February 2016
http://techfreedom.org/post/139547849574/techfreedom-sues-the-faa-on-drone-regulations
http://www.suasnews.com/ International Updates
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/interpretations/data/interps/2015/Williams-AFS-80%20-%20%282015%29%20legal%20interpretation.pdf PDF Document
Photographs taken as a hobby can be sold later and are not apart of the FAA commercial discussions
http://www.faa.gov/uas/publications/media/RTFARCFinalReport_11-21-15.pdf PDF Document
November 21, 2015 FAA Task Force for Registration report
http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=399335__
October 7, 2015 Government Hearing : Ensuring Aviation Safety in the Era of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
http://bonelaw.com/criminal-drone-laws-take-effect/
July 1, 2015 Tennessee law says no drone over crowds larger than 100, " into fireworks displays, or over jails."
https://rotor.com/Publications/RotorNews/tabid/843/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7570/BREAKING-NEWS-House-to-Release-FAA-Overhaul-Bill.aspx
June 25, 2015 "The bill is expected to include provisions that would pull the air traffic control system out of federal hands.."
http://photographyforrealestate.net/2015/06/04/whats-the-status-of-us-small-drone-rules-that-apply-to-real-estate-photography/
June 4, 2015 Summary of debate. FAA thoughts. Legal thoughts. Currently no laws...
http://www.provideocoalition.com/drone-law-update-faa
May 17, 2015 "...we STILL do not have an enforceable LAW prohibiting commercial use in the U.S."
http://droneoperatorsadvisor.com Advice for Realtors
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/02/15/heres-what-drone-advocates-love-and-hate-about-the-faas-proposed-rules/
February 16, 2015 Proposed Rules for UAV Systems
http://science.house.gov/hearing/unmanned-aerial-systems-research-and-development
January 21 2:30pm 2015 : Hearing on UAV systems
January 2015 http://www.faa.gov/uas/law_enforcement/ PDF
'FAA request for local police : 'Law Enforcement Engagement with Suspected Unauthorized UAS Operations'
Youtube: Congressional Hearing Video: U.S. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Integration, Oversight, and Competitiveness Congressional Hearing
December 10, 2014
http://youtu.be/R_1U0VRscH8
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/national-world/government-politics/ap/congress-told-us-lags-other-nations-on-drones/article_8045b2a4-7ad6-5150-be1d-db7c8b1f479b.html
December 10, 2014 "Peggy Gilligan, the FAA's associate administrator for safety, told the committee that delays in issuing regulations for small drones are "beyond what any of us think acceptable," she but assured lawmakers they would see proposed regulations very soon."
http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/12/06/congress-drone-hearing-faa/
December 7, 2014 "Congress wants to know FAA plans... Hearing scheduled December 10..."
http://riponadvance.com/news/unmanned-aircraft-systems-topic-hearing/9898
December 10, 2014 "The House of Representatives’ Aviation Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), will hold a hearing on the implementation of unmanned aircraft systems in U.S. airspace on Wednesday"
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2014/12/07/faa-flying-blind-drone-regulation/OO4HIaE4HQv037gJ2PbXyL/story.html
December 7, 2014 "Meanwhile, other national regulators have taken a smarter approach. Canada recently loosened rules for commercial drones weighing less than 55 pounds, and effectively ended regulation of those weighing under 4.4 pounds. Australia and the United Kingdom are also considering special certification for low-altitude, low-weight drones."
How Canada set their drone/quad regulations. 2 Kilograms = 4.4 pounds
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/ac-600-004-2136.html
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/drone-flights-face-faa-hit-1416793905-lMyQjAxMTA0OTIwMzkyODMwWj
November 24, 2014 "Highly anticipated federal rules on commercial drones are expected to require operators to have a license and limit flights to daylight hours, below 400 feet and within sight of the person at the controls, according to people familiar with the rule-making process."
http://photographyforrealestate.net/2014/11/18/real-estate-videographyphotography-with-drones-is-over-for-a-while/
November 19, 2014 New ruling ups the Debate to have Fair Laws Passed : Judge says FAA can make rules ... for now.
Here is the pdf of the Ruling : http://www.ntsb.gov/legal/pirker/5730.pdf
Current FAA policies : however no laws from Congress have yet to be passed which is keeping the debate alive.
The main issue seems to be the 'not for commercial use' policy. Which stagnates Realtors the most.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/
http://www.faa.gov/uas/publications/model_aircraft_operators/
https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/model_aircraft_spec_rule.pdf
http://www.realtor.org/articles/nar-meets-with-faa-on-uavs
October 17, 2014 "NAR meets with FAA on UAVs : ...permits a commercial UAV industry to flourish and allows Realtors to safely use the technology if they choose to do so. FAA officials stated that they were moving forward with the proposed rulemaking for publication in Nov., 2014.."
http://thehill.com/regulation/221788-eight-industries-that-want-to-fly-drones
October 25, 2014 Eight Industries That Want To Fly Drones
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/19/us-faa-drones-idUSKBN0FO02W20140719
"June 18 2014 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's informal email orders enforcing its drone policy are not legally binding, a federal court ruled in a case filed by a Texas group."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-usa-aircraft-unmanned-idUSBREA2618P20140307
"March 7, 2014 (Reuters) Administrative law judge ... dismissed the fine on Thursday and ruled that the agency's prohibition was not enforceable because it was based on a policy statement outside of the formal rule-making process.
https://gigaom.com/2014/07/21/search-and-rescue-drones-fly-again-after-court-throws-out-faa-case/
"While the FAA has declared that nearly every commercial use of drones is banned, the agency does not appear to have the legal authority to impose such a measure."
"The next big test for the FAA will come in a case over a commercial photographer in Virginia, where the FAA is appealing a lower ruling that it had no authority to impose a $10,000 fine.
The current law over civilian drones is not a free-for-all, however. The FAA does possess clear authority to regulate them near airports, while state and city authorities can also enforce privacy and public order laws against people who use drones irresponsibly — like a New York man who flew one near hospital windows last week."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/09/24/litigation-pushes-back-against-faa-enforcement/
"September 24, 2014 (Washington Post) The latest round of litigation against the FAA began only a month ago. On August 22, hobbyists brought a series of lawsuits challenging the FAA’s prohibition on commercial drone flights. The lawsuits assert that the Notice of Interpretation on model aircraft is “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law, in excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations, and without observance of procedure required by law.”
http://dronelaw.net/
"Here is the FAA press release of September 25, 2014 permitting certain drone operations in the commercial production of TV programs and movies:.."
http://www.drone-laws.com/Tennessee/
Drone laws in Tennessee
http://dronepilotsassociation.com/
"The DPA's mission is to be a single entity that represents the interests of all small commercial and non-hobbyist drone pilots."
http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/current-uas-state-law-landscape.aspx
September 16, 2014 : Individual State Laws
http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/tech/2014/04/10/law-firm-first-tennessee-launch-drones-specialty/7549511/
April 10, 2014 Law Firm in Tennessee "... says the new group will focus on the "unique regulatory and legal issues" impacting the commercial and law enforcement issues surrounding this emerging technology."
http://www.modelaircraft.org/membership/membershipoptions.aspx_
http://www.provideocoalition.com/drone-law-update-faa
http://jrupprechtlaw.com/drone-law-blog
http://uavcoach.com/drone-certification/
