The Federal Aviation Administration has raised the unmanned aircraft altitude authorization from 200 to 400 feet. This will permit flights at or below 400 feet for unmanned aircraft operators with a Section 333 exemption for aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds and for government unmanned aircraft operations.

Operators must fly under daytime Visual Flight Rules, keep the unmanned aircraft within visual line of sight of the pilot and stay certain distances away from airports or heliports:

  • Five nautical miles from an airport having an operational control tower; or
  • Three nautical miles from an airport with a published instrument flight procedure, but not an operational tower; or
  • Two nautical miles from an airport without a published instrument flight procedure or an operational tower; or
  • Two nautical miles from a heliport with a published instrument flight procedure.

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