The Commercial Use of Drones

Every couple of years a new technological advancement revolutionizes industries around the globe. Innovations in  drone technology--particularly in the small, “personal,” and quadcopter areas--has been rapid over the last few years; and drones are poised to radically change how people see and interact with the world around them. The uses are seemingly endless and every day someone comes up with a new, innovative way to incorporate drones into their business’s growth and development.

FAA Regulation is Limiting the Commercial Drone Revolution

The FAA considers drones to be small aircraft and because of this they have strict rules and regulations about both casual and commercial uses. This article focuses on the commercial applications of drones and the next steps that are necessary in order for drones to truly take the world by storm.

Future Commercial Uses for Drones

Currently, the use of drones for commercial purposes is restricted by the FAA  unless the operator has a section 333 exemption. As of the posting of this article, barely 500 individuals and corporations have received section 333 exemptions- which allow the full, commercial use of drones.  This is a disservice to the economy as drones have proven to have the ability to simplify and improve on many existing business processes. Below we list several of the ways in which drones are commercially applicable:

• Photography and videography
• Drones allow for incredible aerial photography angles and views that would not be accessible or possible otherwise. Drones could be implemented for unique angles in photography for events, weddings, nature shots, landscapes, and much more. They could also be implemented in the live recording of athletic events.
• News / Journalism
• News helicopters may not be the norm for long with drone technology on the rise. What’s cheaper: Flying a helicopter with a news team and camera crew or having one person operate an unmanned UAV? Not to mention the fact that the UAV can fit in much tighter spaces and has more utility.
• Agriculture
• Farmers across the country manage millions of acres of land, crops, and livestock. It is incredibly difficult for a farmer to keep track of all of this land and product, but a drone can make this much simpler! By getting a bird’s eye view, the farmer is able to easily survey the land and tend to his crops in accordance with his findings.
• Public service and safety
• With the help of drones it will be much easier for first responders to track fires, survey damage, locate injured individuals, and much more.  Especially since drones are so small and versatile, they could simplify search and rescue by entering spaces that is difficult to reach as well as they could deliver supplies in remote or dangerous locations.
• Construction and landscaping
• There isn’t a construction worker alive (or at least still in business) who starts working without a plan. Drones offer simple and easy land surveying and can assist in getting the information needed for creating blueprints and more.
• Delivery and Logistics
• Companies such as Amazon have been experimenting with using drones to deliver parcels with incredible speed. Drone technology has the potential to transform the way people ship things completely since they can have your purchase to you in an incredibly small window.

Drones have the potential to innovate a variety of industries in a number of ways. In order for businesses to fully utilize them it is important that the FAA lifts regulations or, at least, simplifies the process and requirements for receiving an exemption. In order for this to happen, it is important for the companies that have received exemptions to band together into one community and create a petition and proposal exemplifying how drones have helped their businesses and why it would benefit the entire nation if more companies were similarly equipped.

I wrote this article originally to be featured on http://dartdrones.com/commercial-use-of-drones/