Some time ago I started a blog with info I thought might be helpful for those who weren't familiar with filming from remotely piloted helicopters, multicopters and airships. You can find it here:

Close Range Aerial Video by Helicam (http://aerial-video.blogspot.com/)

If you have questions about the content or other questions about other related topics not covered, I would be happy to try and answer them. I think there is still so much untapped potential for this technology for filming the great outdoors. It continues to evolve on almost a daily basis.

It's been a very interesting (and very often frustrating) journey over the last eight years trying to make all this work better. We started out flying the HVX200 and EX-1, followed by the Canon 5D, Red One, Epic and most recently the Phantom and Arri Alexa cameras.

What is the procedure to get a waiver from the FAA to fly aerial video for hire?

I don't understand your question. You can't apply for a waiver to regulations that haven't been enacted yet.

I'm wondering how people are offering UAV services when currently all of those operations should be grounded per the FAA directives. Fact Sheet – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) (http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=14153)

Just because a policy statement is published in the Federal Register doesn't magically make it an FAR.

Your perception seems commonplace. FAA Grounds Local Aerial Photo Business CBS Minnesota (http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/03/14/faa-grounds-local-aerial-photo-business/)

Some of our nation's top aviation attorneys have the exact same perception Jim.

There are some people that think that, from time to time, our government oversteps it's legal authority. Sometimes these disagreements result in class action lawsuits and go all the way to the Supreme Court. Recently several EPA rules were tossed out as a prime example of this very situation.

Awesome. Best of luck with that.

I will be happy if I can get smooth usable footage from a Go Pro camera. I looked at the DJI Quadcopter, but that doesn't seem to give smooth footage. This is like a childhood dream coming alive after several decades.