Drone Exemptions for Hollywood Pave the Way for Widespread Use
LOS ANGELES — The commercial use of drones in American skies took a leap forward on Thursday with the help of Hollywood.
The
Federal Aviation Administration, responding to applications from seven
filmmaking companies and pressure from the Motion Picture Association of
America, said six of those companies could use camera-equipped drones
on certain movie and television sets. Until now, the F.A.A. has not
permitted commercial drone use except for extremely limited
circumstances in wilderness areas of Alaska.
Put bluntly, this is the first time that companies in the United States will be able to legally use drones to fly over people.
The
decision has implications for a broad range of industries including
agriculture, energy, real estate, the news media and online retailing.
“While the approval for Hollywood is very limited in scope, it’s a
message to everyone that this ball is rolling,” said Greg Cirillo,
chairman of the aviation practice at Wiley Rein, a law firm in
Washington.
Michael
P. Huerta, the administrator of the F.A.A., said at least 40 similar
applications were pending from companies beyond Hollywood. One is
Amazon, which wants permission to move forward with a drone-delivery service. Google has acknowledged “self-flying vehicle” tests in the Australian outback.
“Today’s
announcement is a significant milestone in broadening commercial use,”
Anthony R. Foxx, secretary of transportation, told reporters in a
conference call.
Under
the six waivers granted on Thursday — a seventh, for a company called
Flying-Cam, is still under review — the companies can use
camera-equipped drones on outdoor movie and television sets that are
closed to the public. The equipment must be inspected before each
flight, fly no higher than 400 feet and be operated by a technician with
a pilot’s license. The F.A.A. must be notified of filming.
Night use is prohibited, at least for now.
Some
aviation-safety advocates and other watchdog groups have opposed the
waivers for Hollywood, worrying about air traffic situations like drone
crashes in populated areas. Privacy has also been a concern. Mr. Foxx
said on Thursday that he determined that the waivers did “not pose a
risk to national airspace users.”
Studios
like Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures have already
been using drones in overseas shoots for movies like “Transformers: Age
of Extinction” and “Skyfall.” Filming in Bulgaria, Millennium Films and Lionsgate recently used a drone-mounted camera for portions of “The Expendables 3.”
Studios,
battling a severe slump at the domestic box office, are looking to
unmanned flying cameras to create ever more dazzling footage. Hollywood
has also cited significant cost savings from foregoing helicopter
filming and improved safety; three people were killed
last year when a helicopter crashed while filming a Discovery Channel
show. Studios also say drone filming will keep production at home.
“By
creating a climate that further encourages more movie and TV production
in the U.S., today’s decision also supports job creation,” said
Christopher J. Dodd, chairman of the Motion Picture Association. Mr.
Dodd, a former senator from Connecticut, added that the decision was “a
victory for audiences everywhere as it gives filmmakers yet another way
to push creative boundaries.”
The
six film companies receiving approval are Aerial Mob, Astraeus Aerial,
HeliVideo Productions, Pictorvision, Snaproll Media and Vortex Aerial.
Among
major companies, Amazon has perhaps been the leading proponent of drone
use, but it is far from alone. On Friday, the German logistics company
DHL is expected to begin using a drone
to deliver supplies to residents of the island of Juist. It is the
first time such a device has been authorized for regular use in Europe,
the company said.
And entertainment companies are racing to use drones in more than the movies.
Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian operator of acrobatic shows, on Monday released a video
that explores storytelling on stage using drones called “quadcopters.”
The video depicts an electrician surrounded by 10 drone-powered floating
lamps; he then appears to conduct their movement in the air — a bit
like the way Mickey Mouse interacts with the dancing brooms in Disney’s
“Fantasia.”
In
August, Disney applied for three drone patents related to outdoor theme
park shows. Based on the applications, the company appears to want to
use drones to fly projection screens into the air and to move huge
marionettes. The company, which has declined to comment, submitted an
example of a flying version of Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare
Before Christmas.”
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