This is the first time ever that a drone has been granted the permission by the FAA to carry out a commercial mission. Two aircraft have gained the FAA’s certification, the Scan Eagle and Aerovironment’s Puma. Oil giant BP has been working with Aerovironment, a drone manufacturer, to fly an Aerovironment Puma AE on survey missions in Alaska. This decision comes about two years after congress mandated that the FAA construct a plan to incorporate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into civil airspace before 2015. While there is still no provision for any UAS to operate over the continental US, the fact that there is now a precedent set for the flight of commercial drones will encourage new UAS to emerge in all industries where there is a reasonable use.
