Commercial UAS operations are now LEGAL!

Commercial Unmanned Operations are now legal!

According to Lisa Ellman a Counsel in the Washington, DC office of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, as long as your 333 exemption submission describes use of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) similar to what they have approved before, you will also have your 333 exemption approved. She also informed the group at the National Association of Broadcaster’s, Drone Pavilion that the threshold for licensing has been lowered to a Light Sport Aircraft Pilot’s license. That is, until the Congress passes the proposed rules submitted by the FAA in which no license is required. So in the event you wish to make a living with you Phantom or other UAS technology, you can try and push your congressman into acting on the proposed ruling for which they don’t really have motivation to do so since the FAA has opened the door with the 333 exemption or you can go through the process of obtaining your sport pilot’s license.

The Lay of the Land                                         

The majority of pilots who hold a Light Sport Pilot’s license are experienced pilots who either may not be able to pass the stress test of physical required to maintain the private pilot’s license. Now in San Diego California there is only one Light Sport Aircraft to test on in the whole county and it is located at Palomar Airport in Carlsbad California. Julie King (760)703-1967 would be the one to contact for flight time with this aircraft. Now to log your 20 hours of instructor supervised flight time, you do not need to fly a Light Sport Aircraft, only for your check ride. George Sigler the proprietor of Sky Warrior Inc. is looking into the ERCO_Ercoupe plane just for those specific students trying to qualify for a 333 exemption for commercial unmanned operations. This would allow him to keep the cost down. Texas seems to have the greatest number of Light Sport aircraft training facilities, probably due to the abundance of wide open areas to fly. The cost very, depending upon where you are located anywhere from $2,800.00 to $15,000.00 depending upon where you are located. When you buy your UAS system through XFly/X-Fold, if you have a pilot’s license, give them the description of your commercial application and they will have Lisa Ellman submit for your 333 exemption, so when your system is delivered you will be legal to fly too.