FAA to require drone registration

Know Before You Fly is an education campaign founded by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to educate prospective users about the safe and responsible operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

The new requirement only applies to people with drones weighing 0.55 pounds (including extra equipment such as cameras) to 50 pounds. In return you’d get a registration number good for three years that you would have to put on your drones.

There’s no need to register each drone separately online; actually, the number will be linked in the FAA’s database to the operator rather than to the hardware.

Owners will have to provide their name, home address, and email, and their identity will be verified.

You are able to register your drone on the FAA’s website and for the next month for free.

FAA rules now prohibit unmanned aircraft from flying within five miles of airports or higher than 400 feet, but reports of such incidents abound. As an introductory offer, the FAA will refund that fee if you register by January 20, but the credit card data could come into play if the agency needs to get in touch with you about your drone.

Penalties for failing to register can mean civil fines up to $27,500, criminal fines up to $250,000 and up to three years in prison.

Instead of relying on the FAA to swoop in and solve the problem, the drone industry should proactively act to address safety issues on its own. The agency will charge $5 for those registering after the end of the 30-day period, with the cost covering the expenses of the program.

When used improperly, the remote-controlled drones are a threat to commercial aircraft and encroach on the privacy rights of people in their flight path. The possibility terrorists might use the machines is no longer a distant thought.

“Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely”.

People who already own drones have until February 19 to register, and new drones must be registered before their first flight.

Brannan, who uses a couple of drones for aerial photography, says the majority of drone owners want their drones marked with identifying information anyway.

“The guy that’s flying near an airport or near a plane – he’s not going to register”, Green said.

Most said Kansas State is offering brief, beginner-level courses to people who are looking how to learn a drone.