The procession had an ancient vibe: Dozens of priests in white robes, leading hundreds more Catholics in a solemn procession through Northeast Washington. People chanted and sang prayers from the 3rd century, asking saints through Christianity’s history for help. The Archdiocese of Washington debuted its new, hubcap-sized flying device on Mother’s Day, using it to videotape crowds participating in a procession marking the canonizations of popes John Paul II and John the 23rd (now called St. John Paul II and St. John the 23rd).
The purchase of a quadcopter — which a spokeswoman said was less than $1,000 – by a key religious organization for evangelization purposes just underscores how common UAS are becoming for social media use.
According to several people who were at the May 11 procession, which went between the Basilica of the National Shrine and the newly renamed St. John Paul II National Shrine, the quadcopter was at a distance and unobtrusive, especially amid the crowds and noise.
While the archdiocese’s UAS operators made sure only to shoot on private properties — not the roads between — the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Safety Administration has forbidden all unmanned aircraft to operate within a 15-mile radius around Reagan National Airport, said FAA spokesman Les Dorr. The procession area is inside that zone.
The FAA also requires commercial users to seek permission for UAS use, and approvals are on a case-by-case basis. These limitations are being hotly contested in court, said Timothy Reuter, head of the D.C. Area Drone User Group, the largest group of drone hobbyists in the country.
The archdiocese UASe sounded like “an unusual situation. They’re not really a commercial entity per se, but neither are they a private entity,” Dorr said.
Noguchi said in an e-mail that they used extra caution and would check to make sure they were in compliance before using it again.