Know the rules when it comes to agricultural drone use so that you stay within the letter of the law.

Agricultural drone use is becoming more and more common in the fields, groves, and pastures as they have multiple uses. However, there are rules for the use of ag drones, also called unmanned aircraft system (UAS), that are set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and they were shared in a recent Vegetable and Specialty Crop News (VSCN) article. Explore the rules that govern the use of drones in agriculture below.

Agricultural Drone Use Rules

The following rules are from the VSCN article:

  • “Growers should determine which type of drone user they are in order to find out which rules and regulations apply to their specific situation.” The FAA offers a drone user identification tool.
  • “The FAA considers any flight that involves a farm or crop to be a commercial flight, meaning growers need to abide by the Part 107 guidelines.”
  • “Drones should be operated in the daytime hours only…Flights are considered legal 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.”
  • “The drone pilot must always maintain sight of the UAS without visual aid.”
  • The maximum altitude is 400 feet.
  • “Drones must be operated at a maximum speed of 100 miles per hour.’
  • “Manned aircraft have the right-of-way…”
  • The operator is required to become an FAA certified drone pilot by passing a knowledge exam.” They “must be at least 16 years of age, able to read, write, speak and understand English, as well as be considered physically and mentally able to safely fly a UAS.”
  • “All drones must be registered with the FAA…” at faa.gov.

See the full article and all rules here.

Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.