WASHINGTON — Routine commercial use of small drones was cleared for takeoff by the Obama administration on June 21, after years of struggling to write rules that would both protect public safety and free the benefits of a new technology.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the creation of a new category of rules for drones weighing less than 55 pounds. The long-anticipated rules would mean drone operators would be able to fly without special permission.
"This rule is just a first step along a path of full integration of drones into the national airspace system, and the first page of. . .