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FAA drone approvals bedeviled by warnings, conflict, internal e-mails show

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FAA drone approvals bedeviled by warnings, conflict, internal e-mails show
By Craig Whitlock December 21 at 6:45 PM

The Federal Aviation Administration proclaimed a new era in aviation in September when it granted permission to six Hollywood filmmakers to fly drones on movie sets, a decision that opened the door to commercial drone flights in the United States.

“These companies are blazing a trail,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said at the time. “We are thoroughly satisfied these operations will not pose a hazard to other aircraft or to people and property on the ground,” added Michael Huerta, the chief of the FAA.

What the FAA did not reveal, however, was that senior officials had overruled objections from some of its safety inspectors, who had warned after a formal review that the filmmakers’ plans were too risky and should be prohibited, according to documents and e-mails obtained by The Washington Post.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/faa-drone-approvals-bedeviled-by-warnings-conflict-internal-e-mails-show/2014/12/21/69d8a07a-86c2-11e4-a702-fa31ff4ae98e_story.html