Drones over New Orleans

[Nopdgator]

It was NOPD, and LSP doing a joint task force operation with their newly formed drone task force.

[selogic]

There are plenty of companies that use drones for commercial purposes . One even came and demonstrated their services where I work .

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by TinBo

So, Poncho_NM, does that mean that drones cannot be used for journalism purposes anywhere in the country?

I do not know specifically who the FAA is granting waivers to at the present time...

A background article from:

FAA issues blanket approval for commercial drone use below 200 feet.
by Clay Dillow @cwdillow
March 24, 2015, 6:09 PM EDT

The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday released a new interim policy governing the use of certain small drones for commercial purposes, issuing a blanket authorization for unmanned aircraft flights below 200 feet. But the new rules won’t benefit everyone equally. The new policy only applies to the roughly 45 companies that have already obtained permission to fly through the FAA’s slow and stringent “Section 333” process.

Under existing FAA rules, there are two ways to gain clearance for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations. 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. 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.