FAA approves ski-video drones at Tahoe
By Bart Jansen, USA Today
Commercial drones are about to get a lot closer to the action.
The drone startup Cape Productions follows skiers down the slopes with remote-controlled aircraft to record video of their runs. The San Francisco company announced Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration gave it approval to fly hundreds of feet closer to people than previously allowed.
The FAA typically requires commercial drones to stay at least 500 feet away from people who aren’t associated with the flight, as a safety precaution. The exception for years has been for aerial photography as part of a closed movie set because the participants are expected to know the risks.
The company will initially offer the service in the U.S. at Squaw Valley and Homewood Mountain Resort, where it has been testing its operation.