Jarrod Miller, Extension Educator, Somerset County
In the past week you may have seen the court ruling which releases hobby users from registering their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). If you just fly a UAV for fun, then you no longer have to register with the FAA, which costs $5 and can be done online. Farmers who fly their fields for fun would be a hobby user, but if used to search for pest, disease or nutrient issues, farmers would be considered a commercial user of UAVs.
With the cost of advanced cameras and software, I would imagine most farmers aren’t creating orthomosaics of their farms or determining nutrient recommendations. On the other hand, as technology becomes more accessible and affordable, producers in the Mid-Atlantic may want to perform their own field analyses. Others may want to create a business for scouting crops using UAVs. There are a few things to keep in mind if you would like to take this route:
- You must pass a knowledge exam to receive a “Remote Pilot Airman Certificate”. Not impossible, but I hope you like studying. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf
- You must fly in class G airspace, or get a waiver. This will be easier to do in rural areas of the state.
- And when you fly keep all of these rules in mind:
-Must fly under 400 feet and keep within line of site
-Must fly during the day
-Must fly at or below 100 mph
-Must yield right of way to manned aircraft
-Must NOT fly over people
-Must NOT fly from a moving vehicle
If you are interested in UAV and camera types, we published a fact sheet with the University of Delaware on UAV types and uses. You can download it here:http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/19168
