Small commercial drones have been approved to take flight in the U.S. during daylight hours beginning in August.

The US Federal Aviation Administration finalized operational rules Tuesday for routine commercial use of small drones after years of the Obama administration struggling to discern the safest way to integrate the cutting-edge technology into the lives of ordinary Americans.

Brendan Schulman, a vice president at DJI, the world’s largest civilian drone-maker, touted the intersection of policy and technology as being pivotal for the nation.

“This is a watershed moment in how advanced technology can improve lives,” Schulman said.

The new provisions pertain to drones weighing 55 pounds or less and were created to “minimize risks to other aircraft and people and property on the ground,” according to the FAA.

The regulations require commercial drone pilots, like farmers and filmmakers, to be 16 or older and get certified every two years. Operators must keep their unmanned aircraft “within visual line of sight.”

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It also spells out “height and speed restrictions and other operational limits, such as prohibiting flights over unprotected people on the ground who aren’t directly participating in the UAS [unmanned aircraft system] operation.”

Drones must steer clear from the underside of covered structures, fly below 400 feet (122 meters) in altitude and stay at least 400 feet away from buildings.

The Aviation Administration expects the approval of commercial drone use to also serve as a job creator.

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“According to industry estimates, the rule could generate more than $82 billion for the U.S. economy and create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years,” an FAA press release stated.

The FAA reportedly authorized more than 6,000 commercial permits leading up to Tuesday’s announcement.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the agency is “part of a new era in aviation, and the potential for unmanned aircraft will make it safer and easier to do certain jobs, gather information, and deploy disaster relief.”

“We look forward to working with the aviation community to support innovation, while maintaining our standards as the safest and most complex airspace in the world,” he said.

To read about the history of the war on drones, click here.