If adopted, the new rules proposed by the FAA may prohibit projects such as the Prime Air delivery service operated by Amazon, and a similar project in the pipeline by Google, in the US. According to the FAA, the person flying the drone (or the 'operator') will have to maintain sight of any small drone at all times, or have an observer maintain visual contact. An operator has to be at least 17-years-old and pass an aeronautical knowledge test every two years in order to obtain – and maintain – an FAA-approved UAS operator certificate. The operator must be aware of manned aircraft in the area and must end the flight if there is risk of collision or if the drone could be a hazard to people or property.
The rules, which additionally specify consideration of weather conditions and airspace restrictions prior to flight, limit the use of drones to daytime, the altitude of flight to 500 feet and speed to 100mph.
Operators must avoid airport flight paths and restricted airspace, and adhere to any flight restrictions temporarily put in place by the FAA. Pre-flight checks must be performed by operators to ensure drones are fit to fly and confirm communication between the control station and the drone. It is expected to be about a year before the FAA's new rules are implemented.
