As Many As 19 Percent Of Recent Applicants Say They Would Be Willing To Help In An Emergency

Many recent applicants for Section 333 waivers to allow commercial operation of a UAV are listing "emergency services" as one of their potential uses, but just saying you'll help is no guarantee that you'll be asked.

Engadget reports that about 19 percent of applicants filing in the last three months of 2015 said they would be willing to help out in an emergency ... up six times from the several months prior to that period.

But the FAA told The Verge that there may be other factors that keep private UAV operators grounded during an emergency.

Engadget said that the number points out a broader problem about registrants that are flooding the FAA with applications just be on the safe side, as well as the FAA which allows very broad exemptions.

And, the FAA said, just because you have listed emergency services on your application and it was approved, you cannot just go fly when there is an emergency.

And one former emergency service professional, former Life Flight Helicopter pilot and Skyward CEO Jonathan Evans, told The Verge that there is "not a lot of value that 'freelancers' can provide in emergency situations."

Evans' company provides cloud-based services to UAV businesses.

(Image from file)

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