Expert Opinion
AIN Blog: 'No Rules' Doesn't Mean You Can't Do Something
The latest version of DJI's Phantom has a built-in camera for aerial photography. Photo courtesy of DJI.
The latest version of DJI's Phantom has a built-in camera for aerial photography. Photo courtesy of DJI.

FAA spokesman Les Dorr, in a Poynter story about a journalist’s use of a radio-controlled aircraft to film airborne video, once again publicly stated the FAA’s claim that commercial use of radio-controlled aircraft is prohibited. The Spokane, Wash.,-based Spokesman-Review ran the journalist’s video of a polar-bear swim event on its website. '

Reacting to that video, Dorr was quoted by Poynter as saying, “If you’re using it for any sort of commercial purposes, including journalism, that’s not allowed.” He added, “It’s an attractive technology for journalists, and people would like to be able to use it. That said, the FAA is responsible for the safety of the airspace. And as much as we’d like to encourage them, we can’t let them do it as long as there are no rules in place.”

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Matt Thurber
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