UAV Update

UAV Update

Last August there were several changes made to FAA's part 107 Rules that allow Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAV's to no longer need a second person as a visual observer and now to fly commercially ag producers just need to have a commercial UAV license. The next challenge in using UAV's in ag production — which is addressed in Part 137 of the FAA's rule — is addressing the use of UAVs in aerial application.

Measure Drone as a Service Company Vice President of Ag Robert Blair explains one of the next regulatory challenges in further using UAVs in ag production.

Blair: "That is the next regulatory hurdle I think far as the agriculture goes. I think there is a lot of applications for drones doing spraying — especially spot spraying for weeds — it is less invasive and in more rugged terrain. For example in Columbia County where you've got some steep terrain and you have invasive species and you can't walk out there with a backpack very effectively. You can identify that invasive species and have that drone go out there and treat it. Regarding aerial application we need to go through the same process we did and that is that agricultural organizations need to start calling for policy changes on it — common sense policy changes."

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