We often hear questions from people interested in commercial UAS about what the requirements are to actually be a commercial UAS pilot. This question carries numerous implications, with the biggest problem that, the more certifications required, the more expensive it is to hire and train a commercial UAS pilot. So the short answer to the question of whether or not your UAS pilots need an FAA issued pilot's license is: Yes. To operate commercially right now, commercial UAS pilots need a license to fly manned aircraft from the FAA. However, the real questions to be asking are: what will the licensing needs be in the future, and when are they going to change, and how should I adjust my business model to these issues?

It is abundantly clear to the FAA, commercial UAS companies, and even the general public, that all of the safety requirements we put on manned aircraft pilots are not necessary for UAS. The skills required to pilot UAS safely a few hundred feet above the ground are very different than those required to fly cross-country. Thankfully, the FAA has acknowledged this, and their proposed rules would eliminate this requirement. According to original deadlines, they are supposed to integrate the final version of these rules by September 2015. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen.

The most recent direct communication from the FAA targeted June of 2016 as the target date for releasing the final version of these rules. However, the FAA has missed deadlines like this in the past, and occasionally by significant margins. It would be foolishly optimistic to have faith in this deadline, especially if the viability of your UAS business line depends on this changing.

Realistically, the effective elimination of the pilot license requirement for commercial UAS will happen sometime in 2017, and any businesses involved in commercial operations ought to plan accordingly. For many operations, this may mean running only a small test program for the next 18 months with the more expensive pilots, and then scaling the business fully once the requirements change. For others, it may mean holding off on their UAS operations altogether, as the cost structure just doesn't work under the current regulatory system.

Getting a sport pilot's license, the lowest way to fulfill current requirements, can cost as much as $10,000 per person, enough to crush many business models. Thankfully this is going to change. However, it is important to consider when this is going to change, and what the costs will be once it does change. So although the current requirements are universally acknowledged as being burdensome, ultimately they will change, and a well informed manager can navigate the changing regulations well enough to be successful.

Are you interested in learning more about how to operate commercial drones safely? Send us an email at info@aerotas.com.

Logan is the founder and CEO of Aerotas. He graduated from Harvard Business School in 2015 and brings experience in a broad range of industries, including agriculture, real estate, and finance. A lifelong tinkerer and avid UAV enthusiast, Logan also has hundreds of hours of flight experience over a broad set of different UAV types.

According to Bloomberg News, the FAA has begun investigating at least three NFL teams that have started using drones to film their practices. So far, none of the teams have received any penalties and the investigation is ongoing. However, given that none of the teams have FAA exemptions either means that they could still be on the hook from penalties. All of the drone operations appear to be responsible and have never posed a serious threat to either the general public or to the national airspace, yet they are still being investigated. It is obvious that operating drones legally in a commercial environment has a lot more to do with publicity than it does with just being safe.

Very visible entities are being held to a much higher standard than those not in the public eye. For example, small farmers or real estate developers are unlikely to be investigated unless they do something dangerous. But companies like the NFL are much more public, and the FAA is more willing to target them for breaking the letter of the law. What this means is that, when considering if a drone is right for your business, it is important to know more than just the law, but also think about how visible your business is.

The NFL teams here should have known that they are a likely target for investigation. Just because individuals and hobbyists are flying these drones around with no threat of legal action does not mean that they can. If they had known about this, it would not have been all that difficult to obtain the proper permits and FAA exemptions, allowing them to fly completely legally. Given the safe and generally private and contained nature of these operations, it is possible for the NFL to operate drones completely legally, they just didn't know enough about how the industry works in practice.

All of this merely highlights the need for informed and knowledgable help when using drones in business. From understanding the legal questions to knowing what your actual risk of FAA investigation is, drones can be used more safely and profitably with professional help, avoiding huge amounts of negative publicity. The NFL should be allowed to use drones for their practices, and with enough information, they will be.

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