If you saw "Skyfall" — the latest James Bond installment — you likely marveled at the breathtaking opening scene in which 007 chases a bandit across the rooftops of Istanbul on a motorcycle. Filming it all was a remote-controlled helicopter resembling a weed-wacker with an overhead projector attached — the latest in aerial filming technology.

But for now, such unmanned aerial-filming contraptions are effectively banned in the United States — the birthplace of the motion-picture industry — along with virtually all other commercial uses of unmanned aircraft, or drones. That’s because the U.S. government has stalled in its efforts to regulate and manage the use of drones, a breakthrough technology fostered largely by the U.S. military. As a result, nations including Europe and China are gaining an edge over the U.S. in yet another industry.

Online retailing giant Amazon (AMZN) drew fresh attention to the commercial potential of drones recently, when CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled an unmanned “octocopter” that, theoretically, could deliver small packages to customers’ doorsteps — a service he dubbed PrimeAir. Amazon-watchers considered the move something of a publicity stunt meant to burnish Amazon’s reputation for customer service, and Bezos himself said it could be four or five years before such drones are actually flying.

A behind-the-scenes glimpse

But a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Federal Aviation Administration’s efforts to regulate drones suggests Amazon’s octocopters may never take off. “Nothing they’re contemplating right now fits with that vision,” says a source familiar with the FAA’s policy efforts. “I don’t see it happening.”

The fortunes of Flying-Cam, the aerial filming company that worked on "Skyfall" and worked on movies including the "Harry Potter" and "Mission Impossible" franchises, illustrate the difficulty of fostering a commercial drone industry in the U.S. Flying-Cam, which has offices in Los Angeles, Brussels and Hong Kong, began using small remote-controlled aircraft outfitted with cameras in the 1980s. Such innovations earned company founder Emanuel Previnaire an Academy Award for technical achievement in 1995. But in 2011 Flying-Cam’s U.S. business was effectively grounded when the FAA notified the film industry that flying unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for commercial use was illegal until regulations were finalized.

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In 2007 the FAA had quietly clarified its position on what constitutes an aircraft, as non-military UAS were morphing from recreational playthings into genuine aircraft able to fly hundreds of miles, reach elevations above 10,000 feet and carry a sizable payload. This was a de facto ban on the commercial use of drones until the FAA came up with formal rules governing their use. Since many companies were unaware of the change, the FAA began to tell industry officials that the use of drones was not yet legal as it became aware they were using them.

Virtually overnight, Flying-Cam and other companies in the same business were grounded in the U.S. “Everything has been shut down until they regulate it,” says Haik Gazarian, director of operations for Flying-Cam. “The most tragic part is, an industry that was shining in many ways has been reduced. We’re not able to do these sequences in the U.S. We have to take the whole thing outside.”

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