Drones Ready for Takeoff at Minn. Businesses
KSTP- TV — The Land of 10,000 Lakes may soon become the land of 10,000 drones.
This week, federal regulators said full scale commercial drone operations in the U.S. could be less than a year away. Now, many local business owners say they can’t wait for lift-off.
“Really kind of the sky’s the limit, if you will, on what drones can be used for,” said Joe Beard, the creative director at Bionic Giant, a digital content production company in Northeast Minneapolis.
Beard is one of many Minnesotans who’ve petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to allow him to use a drone for business.
“Almost every production that we’re involved with,” he said, “there’s an opportunity to perhaps use a drone.”
Local business owners aren’t the only ones who are ready for drones to take off. Members of Congress are too. At a hearing this week, lawmakers put the FAA on the spot. Not only did the administration end up giving a firm date for new drone regulations, they also said they’re already issuing exemptions to about 50 businesses per week.
However, getting those exemptions isn’t as easy as it sounds. Take it from Lakemaid Beer President Jack Supple, who created a viral video showing a drone delivering beer on Lake Waconia.
“The FAA heard about it and called me up and said you’re going to have to look at the regulations because what you’re doing is illegal,” Supple said.
In March 2014, a federal judge ruled there was no law banning the commercial use of small drones. Lakemaid actually ran back out the same day to shoot a new video, but believe it or not, the video hadn’t seen the light of day until Supple gave a copy to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
“On the way home, at 4 o’clock on a Friday afternoon, the FAA called me on my cell and said in case you’re thinking of doing anything, we’ve appealed that decision in Virginia and the ruling stands right now,” Supple said.
The clock is now ticking for the FAA to release those new drone regulations by June 17, 2016. They do have proposed rules already drawn up, which you can view here.
http://www.wdaz.com/news/3771350-drones-ready-takeoff-minn-businesses
