Lady Gaga leads the way as drones blaze trails into the night
FAA grants permits for special flights after dark
Singer Lady Gaga’s use of drones for a spectacular Super Bowl halftime show — granted in a special waiver — signals one of the trends for more commercial uses of remote-controlled aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration has granted 314 special permits for drone flights since comprehensive rules were finalized Aug. 29, and 306 were for flying at night, according to an analysis obtained by USA TODAY. The exemption for Gaga’s show — for both a night flight and multi- ple drone use — was the most high-profile.
With some overlap, 11 waivers were granted for flying multiple drones at once, three were for flying farther away than the pilot could see and one each were for flying over people, flying from a moving vehicle and operating with limited visibility during cloudy weather, according to the analysis by trade group Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).
Brian Wynne, CEO of AUVSI, said the analysis shows the variety and popularity of uses for drones ranging from inspecting infrastructure to surveying crops. He said the industry and the economy would benefit from expanding drone regulations to rou- tinely allow flights at night, over people and farther than the pilot can see, which the industry calls beyond the line of sight.
“This would open up a whole new world for (drones),” Wynne said.
The FAA developed comprehensive rules for remote-controlled aircraft to ensure safe flights and avoid collisions with passenger planes or people on the ground. The rules allow routine flights for drones weighing up to 55 pounds during the day, within sight of the pilot and up to 400 feet above ground.
The rules avoided the need for the FAA to review thousands of drone applications on a case-bycase basis. The industry continues to expand and seek additional ways to fly that aren’t routinely allowed. The FAA sets limits on the size, speed and height of drone flights to avoid hurting people or property.
Flying multiple drones at once is important because they would follow automated paths that would be key for uses such as deliveries, rather than be steered by a single pilot with a joystick controller.
Intel of Santa Clara, Calif., demonstrated for Super Bowl LI how the technology is developing: 300 Shooting Star drones flew formations that looked like the American flag and the Pepsi logo for Gaga’s halftime show.
Because of FAA restrictions against flying over sporting events or crowds, the drones were flown days before the football game and recorded. They were flown with software restrictions called geofences that limited their movement. Each drone weighed less than 12 ounces.
The industry estimates that drones could create 100,000 jobs and $82 billion in economic impact after they fully share the airspace with passenger planes.
“With an expanded regulatory environment, there’s no question these numbers could go even higher,” Wynne said.