Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Nevada far behind top states for commercial drone use

Drone

John Locher / AP

Dan Johnson of Sensurion Aerospace carries the Sensurion Aerospace Magpie commercial drone during an event Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, near Boulder City. The event was to announce the FAA’s first issuance of an unmanned aerial systems test site special airworthiness certificate.

The number of companies in Nevada approved for commercial drone flights is about on par with most states but lags far behind leaders like California and Arizona, according to an analysis of the first 500 waivers issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Nevada companies were issued six exemptions from the rules otherwise banning commercial drone flights.

California, meanwhile, led the nation with 70 approved operators, followed by Texas with 46, according to an analysis of FAA data released last week by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Florida had the third most exemptions at 40, and then Illinois with 18 and Arizona with 17.

The analysis covered a period from September, when the FAA started issuing exemptions, through about June. But with an expedited approval process in place, the FAA announced Tuesday that it has now issued 1,008 exemptions.

Although the FAA allows hobbyists to fly small drones, it maintains a blanket ban on the use of drones for commercial activity without an exemption.

The exemptions, which cover more than 20 industries and 48 states, are meant as a stopgap measure as the FAA creates a final rule.

Industry advocates see an almost infinite number of applications for commercial drones, especially in aerial photography and filming. The exemptions the FAA issued to Nevada companies, for instance, allow the use of commercial drones for activities that range from news gathering to the aerial mapping of mines.

In the analysis of FAA exemption data, California companies manufactured 50 platforms used by approved operators, the most of any state. Nevada companies did not manufacture any platforms used by approved operators.

Nevada, as one of six drone test sites designated by the FAA and having recently passed tax breaks to spur aviation manufacturing, is seeking to attract more unmanned aircraft activity. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development advertises multiple testing sites, optimal weather conditions for flights and a trained workforce, given the proximity of Creech Air Force Base, a hub of the U.S. military drone operations.

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