The American news network CNN has signed an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration US to test small flying robotic vessels for journalistic purposes in the US, according to a statement.
Initially mainly for military use, the private use of small flying robotic vessels that allow the capture of images and information is still prohibited in the USA, with exceptions and at low altitudes (below 122 meters, away from airports).
“Our goal is to have superior equipment and options to produce quality video journalism using a full range of drones and camera rigs,” said David Vigilante, CNN executive.
The planned tests will be conducted by CNN in partnership with the Georgia Tech Research Institute, an Atlanta-based research center that is part of the Time Warner cable network.
The FAA said it hopes the agreement will help it “safely integrate flying robotic intelligence-gathering tools” into U.S. airspace. “Flying robotic craft offer a great opportunity for the media.”
For these vessels, which are highly valued for the possibilities they offer for covering news, sports and cultural events from the air, with new perspectives, more and more voices in the US are calling for the passage of a law for their use.
“We hope these efforts will contribute to the development of a dynamic ecosystem, in which devices of all types and sizes can thrive,” said Vigiland. So far, certain specialized companies (in aerial surveillance, construction site inspection, combustion operations) and image production companies are exempt from the FAA ban.
Apart from privacy concerns — drones allow images to be captured and stored that are related to people — one of the biggest obstacles to approving their use in civil aviation is the fear of increasing the risk of mid-air collisions.
A total of 193 cases of robotic craft flying near an aircraft were recorded by the FAA between February 22 and November 11, 2014, the pilots' association, AOPA.
Source: ΑΠΕ/ΜΠΕ
