![]() ![]() The blanket COA essentially allows those same companies to operate much more flexibly and without so much government oversight provided they’re willing to keep their aircraft below 200 feet. For instance, users that simply want to test a new flight software patch or use a drone to inspect something no higher than a power line have to file flight plans with the FAA. Section 333 exemptions come with a lot of bureaucratic baggage. But for those with Section 333 exemptions, the FAA just slashed through a whole lot of red tape. If all that sounds a bit confusing, here’s what it really means: If you weren’t authorized to fly before, you still can’t. In other words, those companies that are already approved to fly under Section 333 now have blanket approval to fly below 200 feet. The FAA’s new policy grants any company or entity that has already cleared the Section 333 approval process a blanket COA to fly below 200 feet. Some 600 applications are still pending, stuck in a slow-moving approval pipeline. The FAA has approved only 53 Section 333 applications for roughly 45 companies thus far. ![]() Businesses can also apply for permission to use drones through what’s known as Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, under which the FAA can grant companies approval to fly drones commercially under certain defined parameters. One can apply for a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA), which typically grant government agencies or research institutions permission to use drones under fairly restrictive circumstances, usually for research. Under existing FAA rules, there are two ways to gain clearance for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations. ![]()
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