The powerful International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers Local 98 purchased drones recently to monitor some of its work sites in
Philadelphia.
But a launch of the air fleet is on pause until the union
receives the blessing from federal aviation officials.
Last month, Local 98 unveiled the drones with a YouTube
video that features a drone taking off next to union boss John Dougherty. The
'80s hit "Somebody's Watching Me" plays as the little aircraft buzzes
around a picket site.
New Federal Aviation Administration rules require drones
to fly under 400 feet; they must be within the line of sight at all times; and
they can't fly near stadiums or airports, according to a spokeswoman.
In additional, federal officials said, if a drone is for
nonrecreational purposes, that use needs special approval.
So that effectively lands all of the union's drones ...
for now.
"We are working with the FAA to come into compliance
to make sure we're operating these things legally and within the boundaries of
the law," said Frank Keel, Local 98 spokesman.
It's about public safety — the drones can zoom in and
film contractors' trucks to make sure the companies have a valid license and no
outstanding violations.
Keel speculated that had the city's Department of
Licenses and Inspections deployed drones in 2013, the deadly building collapse on 22nd and
Market streets might have been avoided.
The new effort aimed at preventing future catastrophe at
Philadelphia works sites now awaits federal approval.
"We have flown these things just one time,"
Keel said. "They have not been flown since."
Keel had originally said that the drones could assist in
ferreting out undocumented immigrants from construction sites, a statement that
garnered heat from activist groups, who called it thinly veiled racial
profiling.
It was a misstatement, Keel says now.
"I was in a hurry," Keel said. "I meant to
say unlicensed, not undocumented."
The FAA expects 2.5 million drones to be in circulation
by the end of the year. Commercial drone use is expected to account for the
largest share of that.
Additional federal drone regulations are set to be
released soon.
Source: NewsWorks
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