Drones - Where are We Now?

When we first wrote about drones a number of years ago, they were the hot new thing. Parents were buying them for their children as well as themselves, and concerns revolved around privacy and interference in commercial airspace. There were incidents of drones flying into buildings and the hope that drones could be useful when adjusting claims, in search and rescue missions, and many other activities beneficial to society. One of our first questions back in 2014 was whether drones were aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration refers to drones as Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS. A lot has changed. So where are we now?

In 2014, ISO created exclusion forms CG 21 09 06 15, Exclusion Unmanned Aircraft and CG 21 10 06 15, Exclusion Unmanned Aircraft (Coverage A Only) that define drones as “unmanned aircraft” designed to be controlled by a person not in or on the aircraft, and excludes coverage for such craft from the CGL policy. Along with the exclusion,  these limited coverage endorsements were also created: CG 24 50 06 15, Limited Coverage for Designated Unmanned Aircraft and CG 24 51 06 15, Limited Coverage for Designated Unmanned Aircraft (Coverage A Only). These endorsements provide coverage for scheduled drones that are used for a specific project that is also listed on the schedule.