FAA Green Lights Drone Use For Connecticut Businesses

By MARIE K. SHANAHANS

More drones will soon be humming overhead in Connecticut.

They will lessen the need to climb ladders for roof inspections or rent helicopters for aerial views of real estate. They will assess storm damage more quickly and safely, and survey crops more easily, than ever before.

And those are just some of the airborne assignments cited by the first Connecticut businesses to get clearance from federal regulators to use the small, unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes — permission granted in the past month by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Drones can now be used by four state companies: The Travelers Cos., which has major operations in Connecticut; C.E.T. Aviation in Southbury, Photo-Flight Aerial Media in Vernon, and Pete’s Precision Photo in Chester.

Their applications to employ drones for commercial uses were among the 339 applications approved by the FAA nationwide as of May 13.

Drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are revolutionizing industries big and small, from farming to construction to news gathering, making it possible to capture high-definition aerial perspective images without great risk or steep costs.

The federal approvals come with severe restrictions. The toughest is that any commercial drone operator must hold an actual pilot’s license — transport, commercial, private, recreational or sport. No hobbyists allowed.

The drones can fly no faster than 100 mph and no higher than 400 feet. They can’t fly at night — or within 5 nautical miles of an airport without written permission. All flights must be over private or controlled-access property with permission from the property owner. All flights require two people: an operator and a “visual observer,” and both must keep a visual line of sight on the drone at all times.

The burst of commercial drone approvals in Connecticut comes as state legislators weigh the positive uses of pilotless aircraft technology against a host of public safety and privacy concerns. People don’t want drones invading their personal space or threatening their property.

Commercial drone use is regulated by the FAA, but recreational use is not. Anyone can buy and fly a drone as a hobbyist. No license or training is required.