Drone Journalism Lab

Note: You should not expect help when illegally using your drone

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:43:22 -0400

Note: You should not expect help when illegally using your drone:

The county commissioners say they won’t foot the bill for a crane, and they don’t think the helicopter owner’s suggestion to have someone rappel from a real chopper and snatch the miniature one off is, well, very realistic or worthwhile.

Will Dummy Cities Be Used to Test Drones in the U.S.?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:56:08 -0400

Will Dummy Cities Be Used to Test Drones in the U.S.?:

An interesting idea. Could we include fake mass protests in there?

Tennessee Football Records Practice With a Drone - Forbes

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:30:57 -0400

Tennessee Football Records Practice With a Drone - Forbes:

Fox Sports and ESPN are already using them to cover live cricket matches in Australia. Matter of time, this.

Don't call 'em drones: The wide world of unmanned flying machines

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:01:40 -0400

Don't call 'em drones: The wide world of unmanned flying machines:

I say drone, you say drone. “Drone” has come to mean any aerial vehicle that flies without a person actually sitting in it. But there are di…

FAA phone call on domestic drones draws five different kinds of people.

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 09:11:42 -0400

FAA phone call on domestic drones draws five different kinds of people.:

Callers tell FAA of privacy, safety concerns over drones

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:28:00 -0400

The FAA held a teleconference today to talk about privacy policies around the six UAV test sites they’ve yet to announce. Pepperdine University Law Professor Greg McNeal and EPIC Privacy’s Amie Stepanovich live tweeted the event with their reactions.

6 ways to use domestic drones

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:22:56 -0400

6 ways to use domestic drones:

A few missing — ahem — but a good list. Rightly focuses on agriculture as a huge potential user.

Caught between ban and boom, businesses struggling with drone rules

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:15:00 -0400

By Daniel Wheaton

Charles Eide thought he was following all of the rules when he used a drone to take photos of real estate.

He wasn’t. In early February, the Federal Aviation Administration told him to stop.

Eide, along with hundreds of other businesses, are facing the same question: Is it legal to use drones and aerial photography for profit?

It isn’t.

The FAA says the only way to for a business to get a permit to fly Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly and controversially called drones, is to apply for an experimental certificate. However, the FAA is only giving those for research and development — not for commercial uses.

In short, there’s no legal way to use a UAV to make money. Aerial photography companies, journalists, land surveyors, Realtors — all cannot use drones for their work under current FAA rules.

“The UAS (unmanned aerial systems) industry has grown largely as a result of supporting the defense organizations and this is reflected in the type of systems that have been developed,” the FAA explained on their frequently asked questions page. “However, operations in civil airspace have different priorities. Civil performance standards are often more stringent, especially in the areas of reliability. Public expectation for a safe aviation environment drives our very high standards.”

Because the FAA won’t have clear rules on domestic drones until 2015 at the earliest, the domestic drone industry is stuck between what many believe will be a booming business and rules that don’t allow for UAVs to be used now.

Currently, rules for small radio controlled aircraft apply to drones, but flying they for commercial purposes is still illegal.

But that hasn’t stopped a number of people from pushing the rules, from Hollywood to upstart Arkansas news outlets to metro newspapers.

This document, which was sent to Eide explains the connection in bureaucratic terms. The rules were drafted in 2007 and, Eide said, don’t shed much light beyond a “no.”

Even so, until recently, the rules were hard to find and harder to parse out. What is a commercial use? What is use? Can operators rent time on the device, and give the photos away for free? Can non-profits use them?

Even U.S. Senators aren’t all that clear on the rules.

“We have no regulation of drones in the United States in their commercial use,” Calif. Sen. Dianne Feinstein told Chris Matthews on Hardball earlier this month. “You could see drones someday hovering over the homes of Hollywood luminaries violating privacy.”

But, under FAA rules, that isn’t true. Paparazzi can’t use drones legally.

Feinstein said Congress has taken note.

“This question has to be addressed,” she said. “And we need rules of operation on the border, by police, by commercial use, and also by military and intelligence use. This is now a work in progress.”

But that progress isn’t going to help Eide, or anyone else looking to start a business flying small UAVs for profit, anytime soon.

The FAA, under orders from Congress, has until September 2015 to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace. But few believe, with increasing scrutiny and looming lawsuits, that drones will fly freely then.

Eide developed two services— Flyboys and Vantage Aerials — to bring aerial photography into the mainstream. They even produced a promotional video showing the cinematic quality of their work.

“We just thought it could be an extra thing,” Eide said.

The FAA contacted Eide and told him to stop taking photos with helicopters and the DJI S800 drone.

He was sent documents regarding model aircraft flight and assorted general guidelines. The documents do not address aerial photography or commercial uses of drones. The FAA outlines guidelines for flight, all of which Eide said he was following.

“(The documents) don’t tell you that cannot do this,” Eide said.

He described the documents he received as vague and confusing. Speaking with a member of the FAA, they told Eide that drones could not be used because of safety concerns.

But under FAA guidelines, aerial photography can be done recreationally, so long as it’s away from people or airports.

Eide said he was not impressed by the FAA’s arguments, which claimed that professional use would be a safety hazard. The photos that Eide took were taken at a low altitude and away from any other aircraft, which followed established guidelines for any RC aircraft.

The FAA said they were going to send Eide more detailed information about the laws. He hasn’t received it yet.

Eide has been interested in using drones and other RC airplanes for almost ten years. Other businesses are stuck in the same situation.

The current laws create a “prohibition style” chill on the technology, Eide said. People are still trying finding ways around the law by not directly charging for the service – something the FAA has said is not allowed.

Eide agrees with the FAA that drones shouldn’t be used wantonly. He fears allowing hobbyists to use drones more freely carries greater risks than letting professionals use them. He’s even hosting a safety workshop in May.

Eide estimates he is missing out on a quarter-million dollars in business.

“So you’re telling me you can do it recreationally but not professionally because of a safety hazard?” Eide said. “That’s really silly.”

The drones are coming ... but our laws aren't ready

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:48:44 -0400

The drones are coming ... but our laws aren't ready:

The story itself has a decent back-and-forth about if our laws are or aren’t ready. It’s not so clear cut.

Seven more reasons why journalists should learn to fly unmanned aircraft

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:40:00 -0400

Seven more reasons why journalists should learn to fly unmanned aircraft:

Matthew Schroyer gives a serious answer to yet another snarky blog post about journalists using UAVs to do their work.

Define "drone"

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:57:23 -0500

Define "drone":

What exactly is a drone? Is it the $300 toy we have in the lab? Or only military grade hardware? UAV? UAS? RPAS? An excellent piece about the definitional war going on over … that thing without a pilot onboard in the sky.

Drones set for large-scale commercial take-off in Australia

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:39:22 -0500

Drones set for large-scale commercial take-off in Australia:

Friend of the lab Mark Corcoran reports for Australia’s ABC that regulators there have proposed a weight based system that would make it much easier to use the technology legally. For instance, devices less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) could fly “after completing nothing more than an online application form.”

Also worth noting: Fox Sports is using a UAV to cover Cricket in Australia.

Drone journalism off the ground in Italy

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:53:44 -0500

Drone journalism off the ground in Italy:

If your Italian is a little rusty, here’s a translation.

The key bits that caught our eye: UAVs have already been used on two separate news events in Italy, including the Costa Concordia shipwreck. And it’s legal so long as the pilot is licensed.

Reuters: Drones already flying under the radar

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:49:00 -0500

Reuters: Drones already flying under the radar:

From the story: “Tens of thousands of domestic drones are zipping through U.S. skies, often flouting tight federal restrictions on drone use that require even the police and the military to get special permits.”

We don’t know where they came up with that number — it’s nowhere else in the story — but that seems high, unless you count all the hobbyists flying legally in that number. Not saying the flouting of the rules doesn’t happen — it does — just that “tens of thousands” might be overstating it.

Also, it’s worth pointing out: Media does not equal paparazzi. Fear of paparazzi drone abuse is legit, but people should be careful to equate all media with paparazzi.

Looking at the privacy side of drones

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:44:15 -0500

Looking at the privacy side of drones:

Ryan Calo of the University of Washington’s School of Law lays down the privacy and legal conundrums that appear with UAVs in domestic airspace.

ACLU: 20 states now considering drone laws

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:13:56 -0500

ACLU: 20 states now considering drone laws:

The ACLU is keeping a running tally of states considering drone laws here, including where they are in the process.

More Missouri concern about drones for journalism

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:23:15 -0500

More Missouri concern about drones for journalism:

“If they want to learn about it, that’s perfectly fine,” said Guernsey, whose district includes parts of four counties in northwest Missouri. “If we are moving into an age of news agencies using drones to collect information on private citizens, I’m definitely concerned about that.”

Nebraska committee startled by drone testimony

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:41:00 -0500

By Ben Kreimer

Aerial drones are fun to fly. And that’s a problem in the mind of Nebraska Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus.

“They’re too much fun not to use,” said Schumacher, who proposed The Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act, a legislative bill that would prevent drones from landing in the hands of Nebraska law enforcement agencies.

The state Legislature’s Judiciary Committee warmly received the bill, LB412, at a hearing Thursday.

Schumacher presented his bill as a proactive measure to prevent Nebraska law enforcement agencies from using unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly called drones, to gather information that could be used against a person in court, except to counter the high risk of a terrorist attack.

Acknowledging the potential positive aspects of drone use, such as for search and rescue operations, Schumacher explicitly left open the possibility for agencies to request future legislatures to grant further exceptions to the bill.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who said he is opposed to “so-called mechanical justice,” firmly supported Schumacher’s bill.

“I’m commending you for bringing this,” Chambers said. “Your bill is dealing with an area where a boundary is indeed needed.”

Schumacher’s drone concern is twofold. First, he recognizes that drones are big business, as can be observed by the research and development of weaponized and surveillance drone technology for American military use overseas. With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq winding down, Schumacher doesn’t foresee the drones or their manufacturers and lobbyists disappearing. They will simply start pitching their drones to American law enforcement agencies who, Schumacher says, will be unable to resist the new technology.

His second concern is that once drones are in the hands of American police, they will be used for surveillance in ways that will infringe upon the privacy of citizens.

“The government does not need to have its nose in everybody’s backyard or above everybody’s farm,” Schumacher said. “You have a reasonable expectation of privacy not to be spied on by your local law enforcement or local regulatory agency.”

Amy Miller, the legal director for ACLU Nebraska, supports Schumacher’s bill.

“This (drone use) is not science fiction,” she said.

She added that privacy laws are struggling to keep up with advances in technology. However, Miller then inaccurately told the committee that the Environmental Protection Agency deployed drones for aerial surveillance in Nebraska’s rural areas to monitor water quality near a high concentration of livestock feedlots. A report of the EPA using drones exploded online last year, prompting congressmen from midwestern states to assail the agency. But, the EPA does not use drones anywhere. The flights were with manned aircraft, a practice the Supreme Court said was legal in 1986.

Miller also shared with the committee the low-cost and high-tech side of drones with a provocative description of how crowdfunded TechJect Dragonfly, a hand-size drone with an on-board camera controlled by a smartphone, could spy through house windows.

“This is not technology in a Tom Clancy novel, this is something you can buy off the internet today,” she said, bending the truth, as the Dragonfly is not currently on the market.

Addressing the integration of military drones in American law enforcement agencies, Miller informed the committee of the recent acquisition of a ShadowHawk drone capable of weaponization by the Montgomery County sheriff’s department in Texas.

“This is extremely disturbing,” said Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha.

“I am amazed at what you presented here today,” said Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis in a shocked tone.

Miller urged the committee to see the need for LB412 to protect Nebraskans’ privacy because of the sloth-like development of national drone legislation, and an unlikelihood of the Supreme Court addressing drone privacy law within the next decade.

Schumacher said LB412 bill came out of a question he was asked by one of his constituents: “What are you going to do about the drones?”

The constituent, Schumacher said, brought forth this question based on news that Florida’s Senate is considering their own drone bill, also called the Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act, that would restrict police from using the airborne technology to gather evidence with some exceptions.

Inspired by Florida’s proposed bill, Schumacher took the name but reworked the exceptions clause, leaving the counterterrorism component intact. Unlike Nebraska’s version, Florida’s bill allows police to obtain a search warrant to authorize drone use.

Florida law enforcement agencies would also receive leeway to deploy a drone without approval if an agency had “reasonable suspicion” that expedient action was needed to prevent human injury, property damage, escape of a suspect or the destruction of evidence.

Schumacher intends for his version of the Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act to put the Nebraska Legislature in control of Nebraska law enforcement drone deployment and the protection of citizens’ privacy. In the future, he expects the bill’s rigid prohibition on drones to flex with exceptions for particular uses of the technology by law enforcement agencies, as long as the exceptions present no privacy implications.

“I’m not a dogmatist,” Schumacher said. “I’m very practical.”

More coverage from NET News.

FAA: Drone rules will include privacy

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:20:41 -0500

FAA: Drone rules will include privacy:

“The FAA recognizes that increasing the use of [drones] raises privacy concerns,” according a letter the agency sent this week to Marc Rotenberg, president of civil rights group Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). “The agency intends to address these issues through engagement and collaboration with the public.”

Wired: Domestic drone industry prepares for big battle with regulators

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:09:38 -0500

Wired: Domestic drone industry prepares for big battle with regulators:

“The FAA rules are very clear about for-compensation and hire. If you’re going to operate an aircraft for compensation or hire, there’s a different set of rules that apply.” — Jim Williams of the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Everyone knows the experimental certificate process is available but not actually functional.” — Jeremy Novara, owner of Vanilla Aircraft.