As reported in many places, on March 6, 2014 a federal judge ruled that the FAA’s ban on commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) will not stand. That means that it is legal to fly drones for commercial purposes such as photography/videography in the USA.
SIREN: FEDERAL JUDGE RULES COMMERCIAL DRONES ARE LEGAL — Pro Transportation’s Kevin Robillard reports: “A federal judge slapped down the FAA’s fine for a drone operator, saying there was no law banning the commercial use of small drones. The judge’s decision could open up the skies below 400 feet to farmers, photographers and entrepreneurs who have been battling the FAA over the use of the unmanned aerial vehicles. NTSB Administrative Law Judge Patrick Geraghty ruled Thursday that the policy notices the FAA issued as a basis for the ban weren’t enforceable because they hadn’t been written as part of a formal rulemaking process. The ruling, for now, appears to make it legal for drones to fly at the low altitude as part of a business — whether that’s delivering beer, photographing a baseball game or spraying crops.” http://politi.co/1hR9G99
Other news sources:
Academy of Model Aeronautics’ Government Relations page.
Read the verdict on this landmark case