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CNN Gets a First-Of-Its-Kind Waiver To Fly Drones Over Crowds (techcrunch.com)
The FAA has granted CNN a waiver that allows it to fly its Vantage Robotics Snap drone over open-air crowds of people at altitudes of up to 150 feet. "This is a new precedent in this kind of waiver: Previous exemptions allowed flight of drones over people in closed set operations (like for filmmaking purposes) and only when tethered, with a max height of 21 feet," reports TechCrunch. From the report: The new waiver granted to CNN, as secured through its legal counsel Hogan Lovells, allows for flight of the Vantage UAV (which is quite small and light) above crowds regardless of population density. It was a big win for the firm and the company because it represents a change in perspective on the issue for the FAA, which previously viewed all requests for exceptions from a "worst-case scenario" point of view. Now, however, the FAA has accepted CNN's "reasonableness Approach," which takes into account not just the potential results of a crashed drone, but also the safe operating history of the company doing the flying, their built-in safety procedures, and the features included on the drone model itself that are designed to mitigate the results of any negative issues.
Compared to a camera crane, it's pretty light-weight.
The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
Seeing as how they use helicopters instead right now, this seems like it's still an improvement.
... announced long ago by FAA.
The drone industry has more money than tobacco and gun combined.
They will be ubiquitous. CNN is the test case.
They floodgate are open.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
as fucked up as the u.s. is right now, the u.k. isn't fairing that much better.
Meanwhile, in a different country, I've been doing this for the past 2 years (for a small company, not a big news org).
Of course it'll show only one side. The top side. They aren't allowed to fly drones under crowds yet.
This has failed servo, failed ESC, failed battery, failed nut on prop, failed motor, failed transmitter, failed receiver , etc., etc. etc. =====>>>>>> LAWSUIT written all over it.
Caution: Contents under pressure
Not the typical drone design with shrouded blades and snaps apart (bits flying off reduce impact from bulk bits). The safety elements incorporated in this design is clearly the reason for acceptance, this really needs to be pointed out, vs idiots who take an drone with exposed blade amongst people.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
What would CNN actually need a from for any way? Its not like they actually check any facts and half the time they arnt even reporting from the correct location live. I'm still waiting on CNN to read me the Wiki Leaks since its illegal for us common folk to do such a task. If they gave ISIS permission to fly drowns at least I could believe the reports produced by it and posted on their media.
Anonymous Coward = bot...
You guys need to check the news every six months or so. Trump won the election. The campaign is over. That means that Clinton is mostly politically irrelevant now. What you guys need to do now is show how what Trump's doing is productive or meets normal standards for human decency or something, because he actually won and is the President.
"When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
I don't want a bunch of fucking drones over my head.