Send in the Drones

From our friend, Darrell Clay:

Cameras are ubiquitous these days:  They are found in or on street corners, hallways, retail stores, restaurants, and more. Even airplane passengers are ready to whip out their smart phones to capture and instantly share video footage on YouTube or Facebook Live.

Are you prepared for the next generation of cameras: those that are airborne, courtesy of the proliferation of inexpensive drones with high-definition cameras? The FAA reports that it has registered more then 770,000 drones, and doubtless there are many more being operated daily that are not registered.

News organizations are starting to get into the act, which is understandable given that deploying a drone to cover a “breaking news” event costs a fraction of what a helicopter would otherwise cost. But use of a drone for a business means following rules. Here’s how one respected news organization is explaining these rules to reporters across the country, in very understandable terms.

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Darrell Clay is a litigation attorney at Walter Haverfield LLP in Cleveland, practicing in the areas of aviation law, complex civil litigation, and white collar criminal defense. He is an instrument rated commercial pilot, and owns a 3DR Solo drone. Darrell is also president-elect of The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Contact him at dclay@walterhav.com with any aviation-related legal questions.