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The Federal Aviation Administration says it has issued the first permit in its history for an unmanned aircraft to fly over U.S. soil. Oil company BP will use a drone from the company AeroVironment to conduct surveys in Alaska.

The first drone flights under the recently issued waiver have already taken place, the FAA says.

, which the company says "is quiet to avoid detection and operates autonomously, providing persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting data (ISRT)."


The waterproof drone's sensors include optical and infrared cameras; it's suitable for both civilian and military uses, the company says.


Drones have been creeping toward wider use in American skies in recent years. An NPR story and video recently looked at 

The Fight Over Drones, As Seen From A Drone

.
The snag has been that while civilians are able to operate drones within altitude limits, it's illegal to use them for commercial purposes. That distinction grounded a fledgling 

 in Wisconsin.
The FAA is allowing drones to be used at 

 around the U.S., as the agency works on rules that would cover navigation and operator standards and certification, as well as other regulations.  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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The drone being used is an AeroVironment Puma AE, which the company says "is quiet to avoid detection and operates autonomously, providing persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting data (ISRT)." The waterproof drone's sensors include optical and infrared cameras; it's suitable for both civilian and military uses, the company says.

FAA OKs 1st commercial drone use over land

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