Phantom

Drone as a Service (DaaS) company Measure has secured approval from the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate more than 300 types of drones for various commercial applications.

This is the first Washington-based company to get the go-ahead for commercial drone flights.

FAA exemption will allow Measure to operate unique UAS platforms weighing less than 55lb to gather aerial data.

This accumulated data will help commercial entities set-up ground resources and ensure the safety and cost-effectiveness of their operations.

Aircraft covered by the exemption include DJI Inspire, DJI Phantom, Draganflyer X4ES, DYS D800-X8, Cinestar X8, BOSH Technologies Super Swiper, Altus X-8, AirRobot AR 180, Falcon VTOL, Gryphon Dynamics X8, InstantEye Mk-2, Nighthawk VTOL, and Phoenix 60.

"We don’t believe that a one-size-fits-all approach makes a lot of sense when drones can be used for an ever-growing number of data collection applications."

The FAA said that the unmanned aircraft should be operated within the pilot’s visual line of sight at an altitude of no more than 400ft above ground level, and at speeds of less than 87k.

Measure will be responsible for inspecting the UAS and ensuring it is in a condition for safe operation in compliance with manufacturer safety bulletins. UAS operations may not be conducted at night.

Measure CEO Brandon Torres Declet said: "Measure now has the ability to leverage the vast number of high-quality aircraft available for our customers.

"We don’t believe that a one-size-fits-all approach makes a lot of sense when drones can be used for an ever-growing number of data collection applications."

Measure offers its DaaS model to customers in agriculture, energy, insurance and infrastructure.

Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) president and CEO Brian Wynne said: "The FAA commercial exemption granted to Measure is significant because it permits a record number of unmanned aircraft system platforms to fly.

"Measure can now deliver the many benefits UAS technology has to offer with the right platform for any scenario."

Image: DJI’s Phantom 3 camera-equipped UAV. Photo: courtesy of DJI.