The FAA is completely confused about what constitutes “commercial” drone use

The FAA is completely confused about what constitutes “commercial” drone use

March 19, 2015, Slate

Covington's Brian Smith is quoted regarding commercial drone use:

The broad definition of “commercial” in the context of drone flying likely has a lot to do with the confusion as well. “The FAA has traditionally adopted a very broad view of activities that constitute commercial operations,” says lawyer Brian D. Smith of Covington & Burling LLP. “In short, receiving anything of value is considered compensation. When traditional regulatory interpretations designed for aircraft are applied to drones, it often leads to very strange results.”