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"One of a fast-growing number of drone operators to gain new federal exemptions, Clermont videographer Brandon Horgeshimer has shot aerials of everything from reality-show scenes to RV-park footage. \"I think the certificate is legitimizing the industry to companies who want to use this technology to help advertise, whether it's real estate or television stuff or movies,\" Horgeshimer said. \"It's kind of like you hire a plumber and you'd like him to have a plumbing license.\" Florida drone pilots have gotten 97 exemptions in the Federal Aviation Administration's first year of granting them, making the state second only to California. Uses include photography for events or more general use such as cityscapes; surveys of agricultural property and crops; and law enforcement searches and inspections, according to a new report. Known for beachfront mansions and fast-emerging construction projects, Florida leads the country in FAA exemptions for drone photography of real estate. Florida has 45 exemptions for real estate uses, making that the leading use of drones in the state, according to the report by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International. Horgeshimer has fired up his DJI Phantom 3 to capture video for Lake Nona marketing materials. In addition, he has shot aerial video for television shows including \"Tough Enough,\" \"Landscape Disasters\" and recent Central Florida footage for \"Naked and Afraid.\" His company is working with an affiliate on what he said would be downtown Orlando's first commercial marketing project under FAA approval. As the remote-controlled devices increasingly claim air space, they have also drawn the attention of homeowner associations and commercial pilots. A recent newsletter from a homeowner association in Brevard County reads that drones \"trespass by flying low over a person's property to interfere with the owner's reasonable use and enjoyment of their property.\" It went on to advise owners to call the Sheriff's Office to report any related problems. Donna Berger, a lawyer who specializes in property-owner associations, said last week that she has been crafting advisories on how to best deal with what can easily become an airborne annoyance. \"Any time there's something new, there's always going to be some concern,\" Berger said. One association, she said, considered using a drone to investigate reports that a resident was storing chemicals on the balcony of her condo. Ultimately, it was just a discussion. In addition to association concerns, pilots and airport officials have reported hundreds of sightings and incidents with drones in flight paths. Of 764 \"encounters\" reported to the FAA in a nine-month period ending in August, 93 occurred in Florida and 13 of those were in the Orlando area, according to a report by the federal agency. \"The FAA wants to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal,\" the aviation regulation group stated in its report. \"Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time.\" To get an FAA exemption, operators must have a pilot's certificate, keep drones in their lines of sight and operate in daylight only. Drones can weigh no more than 55 pounds and fly no higher than 400 feet. Orlando resident Carlos Pando, a manager at Orlando Aerial Videos, said he has mostly worked shooting construction sites' progress since his company gained its federal exemption about four months ago. On real estate jobs, he said has to get written permission from real estate agents and submit monthly reports detailing every job he has shot. \"It's more of paperwork than anything else,\" Pando said. mshanklin@tribune.com or 407-420-5538"
<https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-drone-photography-florida-20151003-story.html>