New rules coming for drones, pilots

By Richard Klicki

The drone industry - and drones themselves - have been in the midst of controversy as businesses and hobbyists are springing up everywhere, raising a number of issues from safety to privacy.

But Dan Isaacson of CAVU Videos in Elgin realizes professional drone operators need to be responsible for themselves and their equipment, and he has been proactive in the helping the development of rules and regulations to meet those goals. He has spoken to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is currently drafting regulations on drone use and safety, and has also worked with state legislators in draft what he said would be the "most proactive and wide sweeping legislation anywhere in the country" for commercial drone operators.

The state proposal would require commercial operators to be registered with the state - including registration of the drone's serial number - and require insurance for drone pilots.

"It's an easy and benign way for the industry to be responsible for themselves and give the public reassurance that we're out there to provide a service ... and we're not amateurs," he said.

Meanwhile, the FAA is finalizing its regulations on drone use, and Issacson said the federal agency plans to have those rules finalized in March 2016 and effective in Winter of next year. Among the new rules, he said, would be requirement that all drones fly under 500 feet and within line of sight of the pilot, they would fly only in day time or at night with special permits, and that pilots would need to pass a written test.

And while he's helping to draft regulations, he notes he's not trying to limit competition. In fact, Isaacson encourages new entrepreneurs - as long as they realize drones are a not a toy or an idle hobby.

"You need to recognize it is a business, not a hobby, and treat it as such. Your time is valuable. If you provide a quality service in the marketplace, you have every right to be in that marketplace."