When US regulators ordered the journalism programme at the University of Missouri in Columbia to stop using camera-carrying remotely piloted aircraft last year, researchers around the country watched in alarm. The drones had been flown over private property, with the consent of the landowner. They had remained below 120 metres' altitude to avoid interfering with larger aircraft. Most thought that such flights would be legal. They are not, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It is well known that the agency has largely banned commercial drone flights, pending the development of regulations to ensure their safety. But, as we report on page 239, many scientists did not realize that the agency considers research and education at private universities to be (commercial) activities. It is an unfortunate and distorted definition that threatens research programmes in a wide swathe of disciplines. Scientists must speak out to make the FAA aware of these impacts.
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