Drones can now legally film real estate for the first time

Looking for property in Southern Arizona? You'll soon be enticed by drone footage, thanks to a new ruling by the FAA. A company called Tierra Antigua Realty of Tucson, Arizona is the first realtor to get the FAA's nod to use a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ quadcopter to take aerial footage of homes for sale. You might be thinking "haven't I already seen plenty of obnoxious US aerial real estate footage?" You'd be right, but technically, all that video has been illegal -- even though the FAA hasn't been enforcing such regulations. Thanks to a recent ruling, however, it may start to clamp down again.

There are strict conditions on the Arizona realtor, however. Confirming an earlier rumor, Tierra's drone pilot will need to have a valid private pilot permit, and must keep the drone in sight at all times. (Quick rant: as a pilot myself, the former restriction sounds draconian -- getting such a license can take years and cost more than $10,000. It also seems like massive overkill for a sub-10-pound aircraft; does a drone pilot really need to know what "turbulence penetration speed" is? That said, I am in favor of some kind of certification similar to a course for getting a boating or hunting license. End of rant.)

The FAA also granted a permit to crop-monitoring company, bringing the total number of exemptions to 14. The US regulator has delayed its new regulations numerous times, though to be fair, it has to deal with a lot of players, and recent boneheaded incidents haven't helped. Hopefully, clear guidelines will be issued by the FAA and Congress by next year.