Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Drones Hover onto Leaderboard at NBAA Finance Conference
Drones are being used as tools by large insurance companies, but should their operators join the flight department?

Part 107 is simplifying the implementation of drone operations within corporations. That was the message from Kathleen “Kat” Swain, senior director of UAS programs for AOPA; Amanda Ferraro, a captain with American Family Insurance; and Greg Cerillo, a lawyer with HCH Legal, at last month’s NBAA Business Aviation Finance, Registration and Legal conference. They discussed how two corporations integrated drones into day-to-day operations.

“If all you need is line-of-sight operations at altitudes below 400 feet, using equipment weighing less than 55 pounds, traveling at speeds under 100 mph, then the new Part 107 rules mean you are good to go,” Cerillo told AIN. Larger, faster drones that operate higher still require a Section 333 exemption.