The FAA Lets Commercial Drones Take Flight

It took four years, several false starts and 624 detailed pages, but the Federal Aviation Administration has finally come up with new regulations governing commercial drones. Quite unexpectedly, they're flexible, farsighted -- and potentially groundbreaking.

Until now, U.S. companies wanting to use drones have had to submit to an arduous waiver process. Come August, they’ll have much wider latitude, within some rational parameters. To comply, their drones must weigh less than 55 pounds, fly only during the day, stay within an operator’s line of sight, keep below 400 feet, and steer clear of airports and crowds.