The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to impose strict limits on the commercial use of drones, requiring flights to occur within daylight hours, rise no higher than 400 feet above the ground, and to remain within the sight of the person controlling the drone, The Wall Street Journal reported last night . Commercial drone operators would be required to have a license and be trained to fly manned aircraft, even though drones are operated remotely.

The Journal reported that people familiar with the matter suggested that, "While the FAA wants to open the skies to unmanned commercial flights, the expected rules are more restrictive than drone supporters sought and wouldn’t address privacy concerns over the use of drones."

FAA policies currently allow hobbyist or recreational use of drones, but not commercial use. A federal judge's ruling in March this year said the FAA issued its ban on commercial drone use illegally because it did not seek public input before adopting them; this forced the agency to begin a new rulemaking process. The proposal described in yesterday's report could rule out the use of these devices by companies such as Amazon, which wants to eventually deliver packages via drones. Drones could also find uses in the farming, filmmaking, and construction industries.

The FAA's proposal would also "group all drones weighing less than 55 pounds under one set of rules... dash[ing] hopes for looser rules on the smallest drones," the Journal report said. The proposed rules are expected to be issued by the end of this year, which will trigger a public comment period. The full rulemaking process could take one or two years.