FAA drone approvals bedeviled by warnings, conflict, internal e-mails show - The Washington Post
Hollywood Drone Waivers Set Stage for More FAA Approvals
Some In The FAA Objected To UAV Exemptions | Aero-News Network
An enterprise report from the Washington Post indicates that
some of the agency's safety inspectors told top officials in multiple
emails that the plans proposed by the film and TV companies involved
high risk, and the waivers should not be granted.
Since the waivers were granted in September, the agency has
reportedly been inundated with requests for exemptions, and some at the
agency have said anonymously that upper-level managers are insisting
that they be "rubber stamped" without being thoroughly vetted for
safety. One former safety official told the paper that there is "huge
political pressure" to quickly approve requests, and that "safety is not
at the forefront" with Congress because of industry pressure.
The FAA even hired a lobbying company that works with the film
and TV industry to look for ways to speed up the approval process ...
until it was pointed out that there was a clear conflict of interest.
The article cites several specific examples of objections to waivers that were apparently overruled by the agency.
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