Drones grounded: UAV restrictions.

• Author: Suderman, Peter
• Position: Citings - Unmanned aerial vehicle - Brief article

Drone hobbyists may need to think twice before taking their toys out to fly in West Hollywood. The California city is taking on privately operated drones in the name of privacy and safety.

In January, the city council approved an ordinance setting strict limits on where drones can fly, who can operate them, and what sorts of information they can collect. The ordinance warns the gadgets can sometimes "pose a hazard to full-scale aircraft in flight and to persons and property on the ground" and requires that individual operating permits, which go beyond existing Federal Aviation Administration licensing, be obtained.

It also requires that drones always give way to piloted flights, that they always be within view of...