US, October 3, 2014: USAA has requested the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for permission to research how drones could be used to help improve quick settlement of insurance claims for its members during natural disasters.
It is particularly seeking FAA exemption from Section 333 of the FAA Moderation and Reform Act of 2012 to immediately start testing small drones using its guidelines compiled during its drone research conducted over the past four years.
The research data received about structures from a drone's flight on the USAA campus and privately owned rural unpopulated land around San Antonio would be similar to what is found in mapping technologies today. According to USAA, this research can lead to safer, quicker and more economical claims service for our members and their communities.
Alan Krapf, president, USAA Property and Casualty Insurance Group said,“We’re constantly seeking ways to better serve our members, especially during catastrophes when getting into neighborhoods immediately after can be dangerous to human life, and applying new technologies is one way we can do that.”
The USAA family of companies provides insurance, banking, investments, retirement products and advice to 10.4 million current and former members of the U.S. military and their families.
Source: SUAS
