FAA Proposes Rules for Drones

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just published its long-awaited proposed rules for the operation of commercial drones.  The need for some standardized regulation of drones used outside of the military--for photography, crop inspection, and other commercial uses, as well as for recreation--became all too clear in late January when a hobbyist's toy quadcopter crashed down on the White House lawn.

A recent Mashable article provides a brief overview of the scope and major implications of the proposed rules. The FAA website has some helpful documents, including a rule summary, and for those who want to explore drone regulation in more detail, the full text of the proposed rules for "Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems" to be published in the Federal Register. Privacy concerns related to the use and development of commercial drones are not addressed in the proposed regulations, but requirements for federal agencies to comply with current privacy and civil liberties laws are outlined in a recent Presidential memorandum and executive order. 

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat