Hollywood blazes trail with drone approval

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday approved permits allowing six film production companies to use drones, technically known as unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Officials and experts say the move will be a major boost to the commercial use of nonmilitary drones, which is still largely illegal in the United States.

{mosads}“Today’s announcement is a significant milestone in broadening commercial UAS use while ensuring we maintain our world-class safety record in all forms of flight,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement ahead of the announcement. 

“These companies are blazing a trail that others are already following, offering the promise of new advances in agriculture and utility safety and maintenance,” he added.

Earlier this year, seven film companies filed a petition asking the FAA to let them use the drones to get broad, sweeping shots for their movies and television shows at a price much cheaper than a helicopter. Six of the companies were granted permits. The seventh, Flying-Cam Inc., is still in discussions with the FAA.

The companies’ request was supported by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

MPAA head and former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) noted that major studios have already used drones overseas to produce blockbusters like “Skyfall” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” among others.

“Today’s announcement is a victory for audiences everywhere as it gives filmmakers yet another way to push creative boundaries and create the kinds of scenes and shots we could only imagine just a few years ago,” Dodd said. “By creating a climate that further encourages more movie and TV production in the US, today’s decision also supports job creation and revenue growth around the country.”

In order to receive their new exemptions, the six companies had to prove that their operations were safe, and pledged to limits flights to a “sterile area” on the set. 

“We are thoroughly satisfied these operations will not pose a hazard to other aircraft or to people and property on the ground,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement. 

The FAA has asserted that it is illegal to operate a drone for commercial purposes under current law.

The agency is working on new rules to change that, however, which are due out by next year.

In the meantime, the agency has the power to grant specific exemptions allowing some companies to use drones in certain circumstances. The first exemption was granted just this summer, allowing oil giant BP to use drones to survey pipelines in Alaska.

But the announcement in favor of the film companies is a major step toward more widespread acceptance of drones, and will likely serve as a template for other companies wanting to follow suit. 

”What we will be seeing today is the first move toward making them legal,” Greg Cirillo, a lawyer at the Wiley Rein law firm, told The Hill. 

Already, other companies are clamoring to hop on board. 

In recent months, the FAA has shut down multiple unlicensed operations from companies including the Washington Nationals baseball team and an online beer delivery service.

As of Thursday, the FAA is considering 40 requests for permits allowing drones for a range of commercial purposes, it said. 

One of those is Amazon, the online shopping giant that is looking for approval to do testing ahead of its eventual plans to use drones to deliver people’s books, clothing and other goods. The company has already developed drones that can fly faster than 50 mph and carry up to 5 pounds of merchandise, it has claimed. 

While it likely won’t be a problem for Amazon to get FAA approval for limited tests in the coming months, Mark Dombroff — a partner at the Virginia law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge — said the agency isn’t ready to approve testing deliveries over populated areas just yet.

Critics have raised safety concerns about the possibility of a falling or misguided drone. People’s privacy could also be jeopardized if the skies become filled with flying machines taking pictures of people from above, they add.

Despite those concerns, many companies are chomping at the bit to get going.

Drones can also be used to monitor agricultural crops, study weather patterns and help journalists cover everything from traffic jams to collapsing buildings, advocates say.

Dombroff said that he has advised his clients looking for permits to file now. 

“The line is only going to get longer now that people see it’s really happening,” he said.