Free Guide to Flying Drones in Chicago released

CHICAGO — Helios Visions, an aerial drone services company, has released a free Guide to Flying Drones in Chicago. 

This guide was created to inform seasoned drone professionals, as well as drone enthusiasts, on the best practices for safely and legally operating drones in Chicagoland.

The guide is also useful for anyone looking to purchase a drone as a gift for the upcoming holiday season, noted Helios Visions co-founder Ted Parisot.

Dr. Ryan Gibson, an adjunct associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with an extensive federal government career, created the guide.

“It’s a rewarding experience operating a drone,” Gibson said. “The guide organizes key regulations for those considering flight operations in Chicagoland.”

The guide covers essentials such as registering drones with the FAA, obtaining a Part 107 commercial drone operator license from the FAA, as well as options for government entities wishing to operate as a public aircraft operation in Illinois.

The guide also covers the conditions for operating drones for both hobbyists and commercial drone operations and the regulations and requirements for each operator.

Also covered are the most common Part 107 FAA waivers available including operating from a moving vehicle or aircraft, twilight and nighttime operations, visual line of sight aircraft operation, operating drones over people, and operation of multiple drones.

The guide provides an overview of the key restrictions in Illinois and specifically Chicago outlined on the Chicago Office of the City Clerk website. 

Helios Visions is a drone services company specializing in drone mapping, aerial data collection, and building facade inspection, with headquarters in Chicago’s Fulton Market Innovation District (FMID).  Recently, Helios Visions became the first drone services company in Chicago to receive an FAA waiver to fly over people.