Commercial drones are set for take off. Experts say in just a few years domestic drones could quickly become a $20 billion dollar a year industry.

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Fasten your seatbelts. Commercial drones are set for takeoff.

Experts say in just a few years, domestic drones could quickly become a $20 billion dollar a year industry.

From oil companies surveying pipelines to farmers looking to spot dry crop conditions, applications are endless. But for the time being, with few exceptions, only recreational drones are legal.

Just this month, the FAA issued the first commercial drone permit to fly over American soil. British Petroleum won permission to conduct pipeline surveys in remote parts of Alaska.

But elsewhere in the US, the federal government wants more testing and data before they approve wider use.

WGN’s Julian Crews has more on the story.