UAVs for Facility Management?

Unless this is done totally free, the FAA has made it Illegal.

UAV's are almost impossible to get in the air anymore. If it's commercial in nature, it then regardless how large or small 2 ton or 2 ounces it needs to go through the complete certification process a Boeing 777 went through. It's NUTS!

interesting line of thought. Last year I looked into purchasing a radio controlled aircraft or helo for aerial photography. They cannot fly over 500 feet altitude without the FAA involvement. Also, there are gps units on the market specificly for these airplanes and helos but the regs do not allow the craft to be outside the range of the radio operator. there are companies that orbit a radio chopper with a camera over large fires so that the commanders can see the 'big picture' to most effectively direct the labors of the firefighters. But the operator must be able to override the autopilot and must stay in radio range at ALL times.

There are camera carrages specificly made for these models that can aim and control cameras, download images real time and include gyro stabalizers. I see this as an industry ready to bloom, especially with the investment in UAV by the military developing technology that will overflow into the civilian market.

It may be ready to bloom, but with the current restrictions the FAA has placed, It's DEAD ON THE VINE.

I have not had a chance to continue our conversation in quite a spell. Unemployment, particularly when un-planned, has the effect of rearranging your priorities.

I have located a new and very impressive RC device being built in the EU that is fully GPS and auto-pilot capable of being taken up to a given location/altitude and told to stay and will do just that even in stiff winds. I would like to develop this to market to fire and emergency services with infared and lowlight capabilities.

Can you suggest where I start looking to learn the FAA restrictions / regulations?