The Federal Aviation Administration has given its first-ever approval for nighttime small commercial drone operations to Industrial Skyworks for inspections of buildings and roofs in order to detect potential structural issues, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Andy Pasztor writes the FAA handed down its decision weeks before industry observers expect the agency to issue rules on the use of commercial unmanned aerial vehicle in functions such as airborne photography and inspections of power lines, pipelines and cell towers.
According to the Journal, flights will require a notice to the agency days in advance and must fulfill requirements for the drones to have anticollision lights and a traditional pilot operator with a required medical certificate and training for nighttime flights.
FAA officials project hobbyists, average consumers and commercial operators to purchase seven million drones over the next 15 years, Pasztor reports.
