New FAA Ruling Clears Way for Allstate to Fly Drones with Consortium
Research exemption for Property Drone Consortium can help customers in the wake of catastrophe.
NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Allstate today announced that a new FAA ruling will allow the consortium it works with to fly drones for property claims research on behalf of customers. The Property Drone Consortium has been granted an exemption by the FAA to put drones in flight for further research, which could lead to using drones in areas hit hard by catastrophe and other situations.
In the event of a catastrophe, physical access to a neighborhood might be restricted by local authorities or by debris. In this situation, a drone could potentially help claims professionals serve customers in spite of those restrictions. Ongoing weather could also affect physical inspections of property where a drone might be able to work without any delay. All of this provides an opportunity for Allstate to better serve customers in a fast and easy way.
"Clearing this hurdle is a big step forward as we continue to research the benefits of using drones in our property claims service," says Allstate's Claims Vice President Shawn Broadfield. "Having the ability to use drones in areas hit-hard by catastrophe where accessibility is limited will help us better assist our customers when they need us most. Allstate is always looking to leverage innovation as we help our customers protect what matters to them most."
The FAA approval paves the way for the collection and processing of intelligent images for research using drones, which can help expedite the assessment of exterior property, like roof damage. The consortium also plans to continue its research on safety, including collision avoidance, visual line of sight and automated flight planning with drones.
This specific exemption includes the following provisions about the flight and use of drones:
- Must be 5 nautical miles away from airports with a control tower.
- Flights can only happen up to 400 feet above ground.
- Must be over private property with permission from the property owner.
- Pilot in command must have a pilot's license (commercial, private, or sport), and a FAA airman medical certificate or driver's license and training on the unmanned aerial vehicle system.
- Must be flown within unaided line of sight and flown in daylight with a visual observer.
- Permission authorized until May 31, 2017.
The Property Drone Consortium began its work at the start of this year and is led by EagleView Technology Corporation, a leading technology provider of aerial imagery, data analytics and geographic information system solutions.
Allstate continues other internal research on the cutting edge of innovation to prepare for the best use of drones that can improve customer service in the property claims process.
To learn more about the Property Drone Consortium, please visit www.propertydrone.org.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2014, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $34 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.
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SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company
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