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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015
Drone industry awaits government regulations
Entrepreneurs should lay plans now, experts say
By MATEUSZ
PERKOWSKI
EO Media Group
Regulations for commer-
cial drones aren’t expected
until next year but entre-
preneurs should prepare for
the government to open the
floodgates, experts say.
While the Federal Avia-
tion Administration is un-
likely to finalize rules for
unmanned aircraft by the
end of the year, as mandated
by Congress, it doesn’t make
sense for companies to wait
to get their business plans in
order, according to speakers
at the recent Precision Farm-
ing Expo in Salem.
“It’s not too early to get
your skin in the game,” said
Andrew McCollough, an an-
alyst with SkyWard, a com-
pany that makes drone oper-
ations software.
Even if the rules take
another two years, aspiring
operators can use that time
to figure out which aircraft
and equipment best fit their
plans, he said.
The FAA isn’t regulating
drones used for recreation,
but the agency takes a dim
view of hobbyists venturing
into territory that it consid-
ers to be commercial, said
Wendie Kellington, an at-
torney specializing in un-
manned aerial vehicles.
At this point, the FAA
is taking a narrow view of
“hobby.”
For example, the agency
said flying a drone to check
if crops need irrigation is
only considered recreational
if they’re “grown for per-
sonal enjoyment” and not if
they’re part of a “commer-
cial farming operation.”
Farmers and others who
hope to legally use drones
commercially before the
FAA’s regulations are com-
plete can apply for a “Sec-
tion 333” exemption, which
allows them to fly unmanned
aircraft without a pilot’s li-
cense, Kellington said.
Applicants should be
ready to wait, however. Of
the 640 applications re-
ceived by FAA, fewer than
50 have been granted in the
past six months, she said.
Drone operators who ob-
tain an exemption must still
fly the drone within the “vi-
sual line of sight,” and the
same requirement is pro-
posed in the FAA’s planned
regulations, Kellington said.
The agency decided the
technology isn’t mature
enough to allow drones to
be flown beyond the line of
sight, but those proposed reg-
ulations are still up for com-
ment, she said.
Kellington said the FAA
should at least have “place-
holder” regulations authoriz-
ing such drone use, since the
technology is likely to prog-
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“We know there are peo-
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single day and the FAA is not
going after them,” she said.
Even in remote rural ar-
eas, drone operators must be
careful not to interfere with
aerial spray applicators, said
John Stevens, manager of the
Pendleton Unmanned Aerial
System Range, where drones
are tested.
“Within the industry, we
have the responsibility to
make sure we’re doing it
EO Media Group
right,” he said.
A four-rotor, camera-equipped drone hovers during a
As drones become more
demonstration flight at a McMinnville forum. While the advanced, safety parameters
)HGHUDO$YLDWLRQ$GPLQLVWUDWLRQLVXQOLNHO\WR¿QDOL]HUXOHV will be incorporated into their
for unmanned aircraft by the end of the year, as mandated operational systems and the
by Congress, it doesn’t make sense for companies to wait to issue will likely become less
of a concern, said McCol-
get their business plans in order.
lough.
For example, McCol-
ress rapidly before the rules an accident or other incident
are final.
was brought to its attention, lough’s cell phones relies on
In reality, the FAA isn’t said Gretchen West, vice radio waves but that doesn’t
in the “enforcement busi- president of business devel- mean he must get a ham radio
ness” of ensuring that farm- opment and government re- operator’s license to use it.
“The rules are going to,
ers and other follow its rules lations with DroneDeploy,
for drones, but the agency which specializes in drone in large part, be built into the
technology,” he said.
would likely take action if operations.
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“It never goes anywhere be-
cause it never pushes through
the grassroots,” he said.
Memorial
MILTON-FREEWATER
The alliance hired SERA Ar-
Wednesday, April 1
(AP) — No city in Oregon has chitecture of Portland and have
Thursday, April 2
PECK, Howard Rankin — Graveside ser-
GOODMAN, Sylvia Beatrice Kallina — Me- been affected more by a piece of had a series of public meetings
YLFHZLWKPLOLWDU\KRQRUVDWDP+HUPLVWRQ morial at 3 p.m., Cannon Beach Community punctuation than Milton-Free- to gather community input.
&HPHWHU\+HUPLVWRQ3HFNRI+DPPRQG &KXUFK ( :DVKLQJWRQ 6W &DQQRQ %HDFK water.
The latest meeting was held
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While a hyphen joined the at a packed Milton-Freewater
Wash.
%HDFKGLHG6XQGD\0DUFKLQ%HDYHUWRQ towns of Milton and Freewater Community Building March
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®
downtown areas remains a chal- ton-Freewater City Council,
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lenge.
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School District, Umatilla Coun-
Astoria 5-Day Forecast
Oregon Weather
comes South Main Street, his- ty and Blue Mountain Commu-
torically Milton’s downtown nity College in attendance.
Tonight
The Dalles
Shown is
Astoria
area, as drivers enter town from
Instead of a traditional meet-
38/57
41/53
tomorrow’s
Pendleton
the
south.
It
then
splits
off
and
ing,
attendees sat at tables fea-
weather.
Portland
37/56
heads for Walla Walla, Wash., turing a map of Milton-Freewa-
41/54
Temperatures
Salem
bypassing Freewater’s former ter in the center.
are tonight’s
40/54
Mostly cloudy
lows and
downtown which is clustered
Audience members were
Albany
with a couple of
tomorrow’s
39/56
showers
around
North
Main
Street
to
the
asked
to not only mark where
Corvallis
Ontario
highs
39/56
Bend
41°
34/57
northwest.
they
live
and their favorite spots
24/46
Eugene
This
awkward
marriage
of
in
town,
but potential sites for
39/56
downtown
areas
creates
an
ex-
downtown
improvements.
Wednesday
Thursday
Burns
ceptionally long Main Street,
Popular proposals included
24/48
Medford
with the whole northern part un- a parkway that runs alongside the
36/59
touched by the city’s main thor- Little Walla Walla River, the plant-
Klamath Falls
22/48
oughfare. This development, ing of trees along Main Street to
Mostly cloudy
Partly sunny
along with other factors includ- unite the disparate downtown ar-
with a couple of
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015
showers
ing the city’s proximity to the eas and a rail line that could trans-
53°
41°
54°
40°
more prosperous Walla Walla, port passengers through town or
Almanac
Sun and Moon
has contributed to large swaths into surrounding vineyards. With
Astoria through Monday.
Sunset tonight .................. 7:42 p.m.
of vacant and underutilized the recent incorporation of The
Sunrise
Wednesday
.........
6:56
a.m.
Temperatures
Friday
Saturday
Moonrise today ................ 4:22 p.m.
High ........................................... 58°
storefronts on Milton-Freewa- Rocks District viticultural area,
Moonset today .................. 5:11 a.m.
Low ............................................ 48°
ter’s Main Street.
expanding Milton-Freewater’s
Normal high ............................... 55°
Full
Last
New
First
Normal low ................................. 40°
The most recent effort to re- wine industry was a frequent topic
Precipitation
vitalize the city’s sagging down- of discussion.
Yesterday ................................ 0.05"
Periods of rain
Mostly cloudy with
town area is the Milton-Free-
Although not discussed at
Month
to
date
..........................
6.38"
Apr
4
Apr
11
Apr
18
Apr
25
a little rain
Normal month to date ............. 7.23"
water
Downtown
Alliance,
a
the
meeting, boosting involve-
Year to date ........................... 21.86"
53°
38°
52°
38°
QRQSUR¿WHVWDEOLVKHGLQ
ment from Milton-Freewater’s
Normal year to date .............. 24.62"
Alliance Director Randy Hispanic community has also
Grant said a plan to improve been a continual talking point.
Regional Cities
Under the Sky
Tonight's Sky: Waxing gibbous moon near
Today
Wed.
Today
Wed.
Main Street has been proposed Despite comprising more than
Jupiter.
City
Hi Lo W
Hi Lo W
City
Hi Lo W
Hi Lo W
every decade but never materi- 40 percent of the population,
Olympia
54 37
t
54 35 sh
Baker City
53 27 sh
47 25 c
alizes.
Pendleton
57 37 sh
56 36 pc
Bend
47 24 sh
46 24 c
Latino involvement in city gov-
Brookings
Eugene
Ilwaco
Klamath Falls
Medford
Newport
North Bend
54
55
54
49
61
52
54
40 pc
39
t
42
t
22 pc
36 pc
41
t
42
t
55
56
53
48
59
51
54
41
36
42
20
36
41
40
pc
sh
sh
pc
pc
sh
sh
National Cities
Today
City
Hi Lo W
Atlanta
73 57 s
Boston
48 29 s
Chicago
55 37 s
Denver
78 48 s
Des Moines
75 48 s
Detroit
48 32 pc
El Paso
81 57 pc
Fairbanks
44 21 c
Honolulu
84 70 sh
Indianapolis
63 39 s
Kansas City
76 50 s
Las Vegas
89 60 s
Los Angeles
74 57 pc
Memphis
77 58
t
Miami
81 64 s
Nashville
78 45 s
New Orleans
81 63 pc
New York
46 33 r
Oklahoma City 85 62
t
Philadelphia
52 34 r
St. Louis
75 47 s
Salt Lake City
79 44 pc
San Francisco
66 51 pc
Seattle
54 43
t
Washington, DC 67 40
t
Portland
Roseburg
Salem
Seaside
Spokane
Vancouver
Yakima
57
57
56
55
56
57
64
41
t
39
t
40
t
41
t
34
t
40
t
33 pc
54
56
54
53
51
54
60
40
38
37
41
30
38
35
sh
pc
sh
sh
c
sh
pc
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
ernment and civic life is virtual-
ly nil.
Unhappy with the lack of
/DWLQRSUHVHQFHDWWKH¿UVWFRP-
munity meeting, the alliance
KHOG D PHHWLQJ VSHFL¿FDOO\ IRU
Hispanic community leaders to
provide input.
Grant said Latino leaders’
concerns were in lockstep with
many of their Anglo counter-
parts, with an overall emphasis
on expanding the local econo-
my.
“There’s more ownership
from our Hispanics than we give
them credit for,” he said.
Using the ideas generated by
the community members that at-
tended the meetings, SERA will
return to Milton-Freewater May
ZLWK D EDVLF SODQ IRU 0DLQ
Street improvements.
Grant said creating a com-
prehensive plan is key to the
city’s revitalization, as com-
munity members will use it to
leverage private investment
from developers for the needed
improvements.
To kick off community ef-
forts, the alliance organized
a leadership group to create a
project that can be built between
-XO\DQG-XO\
The completed project
would be used as an example
to Milton-Freewater residents
of what a revitalization project
could do.
Proposals for the kickoff
project include creating a com-
munity meeting place in a va-
cant lot by McLoughlin High
School where a Dairy Queen
used to stand.
Public meetings
Tomorrow’s Tides
Astoria / Port Docks
Time
High
12:29 a.m. 8.0 ft.
12:27 p.m. 7.7 ft.
Time
6:29 a.m.
6:50 p.m.
Low
1.7 ft.
0.7 ft.
Tomorrow’s National Weather
Wed.
Hi Lo W
78 58 s
43 29 pc
64 52 s
71 34
t
79 52 pc
51 38 s
83 59 s
42 17 c
85 71 pc
67 50 s
81 56 pc
81 56 s
74 56 pc
78 62
t
84 68 s
75 55 pc
81 68 c
47 37 pc
83 62 s
52 35 s
75 61 s
55 34 pc
66 52 s
53 41 sh
60 44 s
By ANTONIA SIERRA
EO Media Group
Fronts
Cold
Warm
TODAY
Astoria Historic Land-
marks Commission, SP
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portation District Budget
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Monday’s Daily Game:
Monday’s Hit 5:
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Monday’s Keno:
Monday’s Lotto:
Estimated jackpot: $6.4 mil-
lion
Monday’s Match 4: 03-04-
Stationary
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Showers
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Rain
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Megabucks:
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands
are highs for the day. Forecast high/low temperatures are given for selected cities.
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
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