We could see more drones flying in the sky, in the U.S. and here in Nevada, now that the Federal Aviation Administration is proposing new rules for small, commercial drones. Mike Richards of Drone America— which is headquartered in Reno-- showed us the 18-pound X-8 drone that they use for search and rescue missions. It's made of carbon fiber and can land on and take off from water. "You can drop the multi-rotor into the water and somebody weighing less than 250 pounds will use it as an actual buoyancy aid," he said.
That and the ability to carry inflatable life rafts might prove helpful in a situation like Hurricane Katrina where people waited hours and days to be rescued. "In an event like Katrina you could fly in after the storm and deploy self-inflating life rafts which could actually buy time," Richards explained.
Currently federal regulations prohibit the use of commercial drones, except for a few companies that have received special permission to operate them. Drone America, like other operators has been testing its drones inside and using them in other countries, where rules are more lenient. Richards says they are in discussions to use drones to monitor wildfires in Australia.
This weekend the FAA released proposed rules for commercial drone operators. The new rules would require drones to be less than 55 pounds. They would not be allowed to fly more than 500 feet above the ground, be flown only during the day, and must be within sight of the drone operator at all times. Under the proposed regulations, drone operators would have to pass a knowledge test every two years.
Richards says it's a step in the right direction. “Obviously we would like them to go further and authorize beyond line of sight operations, but that should be for companies and personnel that are qualified to do it," he said.
Richards says safety and privacy are concerns as well. "You don't want some 20-pound object dropping on your head. And privacy; you don't want somebody filming what you're doing or just being nosy.
Richards says this set of rules may change as technology changes. But for now, he plans to forge ahead, using drones to rescue people and fight fires. "You want them to be used in public safety or beneficial applications, that the public can actually see does some good and saves lives potentially."
The FAA says the proposed regulations are subject to a 60-day public comment period before they become final.
