The CEO of drone manufacturer Hylio warns an evolving regulatory landscape could prove costly for ag applicators.
Arthur Erickson shares that an agricultural drone company in the Pacific Northwest is facing a nearly $290,000 fine from the Federal Aviation Administration for alleged violations, including fertilizer applications by drone without the required agricultural aircraft operator certificate.
“The FAA has been very patient, but the industry is now more mature, and it should be more aware of regulations because these are big, high-energy drones and they should be safely monitored and operated. Just so everyone has peace of mind that these things aren’t going to just go cowboy crazy.”
He also says the fines can add up. “Like if you’re operating with an unregistered drone, meaning a drone that doesn’t have a registered FAA tail number, it might be like every time you go do a job with it that could be like a roughly $10,000 fine.”
Erickson says there’s been a dramatic increase in agricultural spray drone usage in the last decade, climbing from around 300 in 2017 to at least 15,000 today.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
There is no doubt that agricultural use of drones has grown dramatically during the past several years. This is especially the case with larger, more sophisticated units that operate much differently from their distant cousins. Back in the day, when drones first arrived on the agricultural scene, they were much smaller and were used primarily to garner an overview of crop health. It is not surprising that the FAA is taking a more aggressive stance to regulate their use and keep them from interfering with other aircraft in the area.
Perhaps you might want to share this type of news with farmers in your area. If they are not already aware of the stricter regulations and enforcement, they will thank you!
