RDO Integrated Controls, a division of RDO Equipment Co., has received FAA approval to operate unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) to conduct mapping, training, agricultural, and survey applications. The company is an authorized senseFly distributor and sells and supports various UAV units for customers across many industries. The FAA approval comes in the form of an exemption to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (FMRA), which covers the operation and registration of aircraft in the national airspace. The Section 333 Exemption grants authorization for certain unmanned aircraft to perform commercial operations. These flights must occur at or below 200 feet by a UAV operator with aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds during daytime and be conducted within visual line of sight of the pilots while maintaining a certain distance from airports or heliports. Fewer than 2,000 Section 333 exemptions have been granted nationwide to date. Matt Hayes, RDO Integrated Controls Mapping/UAV Product Supervisor, commented, “We are extremely pleased with the news. Receiving our exemption is a positive step towards expanding the benefits of this technology within the commercial marketplace.”

For more information, visit www.rdoic.com.

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