In the Headlines
August 26, 2016

5 Things to Watch as Commercial Drone Rule Takes Off

Law360

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) highly anticipated small drone rule, known as Part 107, has gone into full effect as of August 29. Part 107 is a watershed change that provides operators with long-sought flexibility to fly drones for newsgathering, agricultural, land surveying, photography and other business purposes. Drones must weigh 55 pounds or less for drone operation and must pass a test, which is carefully reviewed by the Transportation Security Administration. Although internal procedures are unclear, the federal government has outlined guidelines to follow before companies and individuals take their drones out for flight.

Attorney Joel Roberson, who leads Holland & Knight's Drone Practice, said that companies have been creating their own policies and keeping track on the best practices before launching their commercial drone operations.

"For a lot of companies, this is the first time they're looking at having FAA-certified employees being subject to FAA laws and regulations," Mr. Roberson said. "So, number one, they're asking, 'Do we have our ducks in a row?"

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