New rules for Drones go into effect

The FAA said Monday there will be 600,000 commercial drone aircraft operating in the U.S. within the year as the result of new safety rules that opened the skies to them. The rules governing the operation of small commercial drones were designed to protect safety without stifling innovation, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said at a Washington D.C. news conference.  “With these rules, we have created an environment in which emerging technology can be rapidly introduced while protecting the safety of the world’s busiest, most complex airspace,” he said.  Among the FAA’s rules:Drones must weigh less than 55 pounds.A drone can be operated only in daylight.The drone must remain close enough for the person at the controls to see it at all times.The drone can’t be flown over people.Drones must not fly higher than 400 feet.But perhaps the FAA’s biggest move is ending the requirement that only licensed aircraft pilots can fly drones that are being used for business purposes.