This year, Brianna Nessler of Small Giants completed the hard work involved to become the first female certified drone pilot specifically specializing in Phoenix’s commercial real estate industry. Her deep understanding of the new regulations position her as a top resource for legal and safe commercial real estate aerial photography.
Nessler keeps herself knowledgeable in regards to the ever-changing regulations involving drones.
“It can be unbelievably difficult to keep up with the government mandated regulations, but it is so important to be aware of the best, responsible approach because something as small and ‘fun’ as a drone can be a huge potential risk to companies,” cautioned Nessler.
On Aug. 29, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released updated regulations concerning drone piloting. Before that date, any drone endeavors required permission from the federal government via a waiver called a Section 333 Exemption. To obtain exemption required a strenuous application process that took months. The new regulations make it easier for companies to use drones, but there are still many constraints.
The new rules make it a risk and liability for companies within the industry to “just buy a drone and start flying”, Nessler states. Some of these restrictions include stipulations stating that operators must keep drones in visual line of site; drones can only be flown during the day; drones may fly during twilight if they have anti-collision lights; operators must earn a remote pilot certificate or an aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved facility and undergo a background check; drones cannot fly above people not involved in the operation and that drones cannot go higher than 400 feet above ground or faster than 100 miles per hour.
“We are no longer working under a temporary blanket of rules,” said Nessler. “The new regulations should be achievable for most drone pilots, which means that the repercussions for not enforcing the proper precautions while shooting could be costly.”
The FAA predicts that upward of 600,000 drones could be used for commercial operations throughout the next year – a 581,060 drone increase from the current number that are registered for commercial use.
