The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Tuesday that it has given permission for commercial flights of drones over land in order to loosen restrictions on commercial uses of the technology.
Oil company BP and dronemaker AeroVironment were the first companies given permission by the agency to fly an unmanned aircraft to obtain aerial surveys over the Northern Slope of Alaska, according to USA Today.
AeroVironment's drone, called the Puma AE, surveyed BP pipelines, roads and equipment at Prudhoe Bay, the biggest oil field in the U.S., on its first commercial flight Sunday. The FAA said BP plans to use the drone's sensors to target maintenance activities as a way to increase safety, save time and increase reliability in the environment of the North Slope.
"These surveys on Alaska's North Slope are another important step toward broader commercial use of unmanned aircraft," said Anthony Fox, Transportation Secretary for the FAA. "The technology is quickly changing, and the opportunities are growing."
The agency said last week that it was giving thought to letting seven filmmaking companies use drones to take photos in the air, ABC News reported.
So far, limited flights over the Arctic Ocean and Alaska have been the only exceptions to the FAA's ban on commercial drone use.
Before Tuesday's announcement, the FAA gave approval for the use of drones for public safety by police, firefighters and other officials. Under an FAA certificate authorized through the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, AeroVironment ran a demonstration of its inspection and mapping services in Prudhoe Bay in last September, USA Today reported.
The Puma AE is about 4.5 feet long and has a wingspan of nine feet. The drone's battery lets it fly for 3.5 hours. AeroVironment said the aircraft usually flies less than 45 miles per hour between 200 and 400 feet off the ground.
The company added that it had given BP a five-year contract to use the drones for pipeline inspection, 3-D road mapping and gravel pit volume analysis. The drones will also be used to keep track of wildlife and ice-floes, as well as assist in search-and-rescue responses, USA Today reported.
Tim Conver, CEO of AeroVironment, said the aircrafts will help BP "manage its extensive Prudhoe Bay field operations in a way that enhances safety, protects the environment, improves productivity and accomplishes activities never before possible."
