Many individuals and companies are interested in getting into commercial drone operations but they do not know where to start. Government agencies (fire departments, environmental protection agencies, etc.) wanting to enter this area are concerned with privacy issues and potential liability. The drone regulations are confusing and the myriad of policy statements are perplexing.
On top of the commercial drone regulations and guidance the FAA has created, many other enigmatic legal issues that surround the operation of drones are popping up with other Federal agencies claiming some sort of regulatory authority over drones. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the National Park Service have started to claim authority over the use of drones flying over whales or landing in parks. To make matters worse, states, counties, cities, and towns have started passing laws regarding the use of commercial drones, government drones, or hobby/model drones. Individuals and businesses desperately need help.
This firm focuses on aviation law to provide our clients with exceptional service. One of the major practice areas of the firm is drone law. We have assisted many clients in obtaining FAA approvals for commercial drone operations, given guidance on the FAA’s current restrictions, and many other tangential issues relating to drones.
Businesses interested in using drones, drone manufacturers, and service businesses utilizing drones face many legal issues. Drone manufacturers deal with import and export restrictions on drones and hiring certain types of contractors or employees. Businesses interested in creating an in-house drone program do not know how to create scalable operations. Getting commercial drone operations approval from the FAA is not the biggest hurdle for businesses; being able to make a profit operating under the FAA restrictions is. Businesses need help determining if their business ideas and models are operationally and economically feasible.
Jonathan Rupprecht, Esq. brings his commercial pilot/flight instructor and legal experience to the table to help businesses and individuals implement their ideas in the rapidly growing and changing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry. Jonathan went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, graduating with a bachelor of science (Magna cum Laude). He later wrote a book on drone law, which led to him co-authoring an American Bar Association legal treatise on drone law, focusing on the history of unmanned aircraft, the FAA rulemaking process, and the proposed commercial drone regulations.
If you need help in this area, contact us for assistance. At Rupprecht Law, we help ideas soar.