This is completely legal in the US on both recreational and commercial licenses, so long as you have visual line of sight to the drone and the ability to regain direct command of the drone via RC (and are following all other flight rules). It is commonly used for video work, such as programmed aerial timelapses.
Absolutely not. It’s illegal for the common person in America, but there are plenty of locations where it wouldn’t be, especially with a drone license.
