Tuesday, November 1st 2016
Courtesy of Brownfield Ag News
An extension educator says commercial agricultural drone operators will need certification under new Federal Aviation Administration rules. George Silva with Michigan State University tells Brownfield in June of this year landmark rule changes made commercially operating a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle less restrictive. “Without acquiring the full knowledge and skills of a manned aircraft operator, the drone operators can now pass a knowledge test and go through a TSA background check.” He says anyone operating a drone for commercial hire needs a remote pilot in command certification which is currently valid for two years. “For example if you are hired by a farmer to take aerial images of his farm then you need certification.” Silva says unmanned aerial vehicles are limited to a 400 foot fly space but operators can apply for waivers if the higher altitudes can be justified. He recommends commercial operators also register their drone and have insurance coverage. Recent forecasts by Lux Research suggest the agriculture industry will be the largest segment to use the technology, generating about $350 Million in revenue by 2025.