FAA "Roadmap" May Advance Opportunities For Aerial Journalism

Charles Tobin is a Partner in the Washington D.C. office

Inexpensive aerial newsgathering may be inching closer to takeoff in a few years, with the federal government's release this week of its first detailed plan for commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States.  

On November 7, 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released what it calls a "roadmap" for integrating "UAVs" — the acronym lawmakers use for commercial drones — into the national air space.

The roadmap addresses the federal government's goals over the next decades for the development of policies, regulations, research and development, and certification, all geared toward the safe integration of UAVs. It outlines the establishment of six test sites, in locations to be chosen over the next few months, reflecting a diversity of climate, geography and ground infrastructure.