Drone laws

Questions of privacy and how drones can be regulated are pretty well-founded, but are so far yet to be met with any convincing answers. NoFlyZone.org may go some way to providing a solution, allowing users to enter their address to create drone no-fly-zones in the airspace over their homes.

DJI has released new firmware to prevent overzealous pilots flying UAVs over the White House. Available to download now for owners of the company's popular Phantom 2 drones, the update signals a willingness from the company to work with regulators to clear the air for safer drone flight.

The FAA has granted permission to a further two drone operators to use the aircraft for business purposes. Along with agriculture, the development will see drones put to use in real estate photography, popular in other parts of the world but a (legal) first for unmanned aircraft in the US.

In another small, but promising step toward the adoption of commercial drones, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted exemptions to four companies that clear their unmanned aircraft systems for use in aerial surveying, construction site monitoring and oil rig flare stack inspections.