FAA sets out official drone regulations with Feb. 19 registration deadline
All drones between 0.55 and 50 pounds must be registered by Feb. 19, 2016, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday.
The fee will normally be $5, but until Jan. 20 that money is being refunded in order to encourage sign-ups. People will need to submit information including their name, home address, and email address, after which they'll receive a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership online with a special identification number. That number must be marked on a drone in case it's retrieved.
Registrations will only technically open up on Dec. 21, but people can submit information now in order to speed up the process. Web-based submissions, at least, are being restricted to people aged 13 or older.
After the February deadline, penalties will potentially be severe. Civil fines will range up to $27,500, and criminal penalties will scale up to $250,000 and as much as three years in prison.
The current registration scheme covers only general civilian use of drones, not commercial drone operations. The FAA said it's preparing a commercial online registration system for spring 2016.
Drones have proven a thorny issue for the FAA, with the organization trying to strike a balance between safety, security, privacy, and allowing their growth to continue. Some companies, most notably Amazon, have been waiting on the FAA to cement commercial rules so they can begin aerial delivery services.
The fee will normally be $5, but until Jan. 20 that money is being refunded in order to encourage sign-ups. People will need to submit information including their name, home address, and email address, after which they'll receive a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership online with a special identification number. That number must be marked on a drone in case it's retrieved.
Registrations will only technically open up on Dec. 21, but people can submit information now in order to speed up the process. Web-based submissions, at least, are being restricted to people aged 13 or older.
After the February deadline, penalties will potentially be severe. Civil fines will range up to $27,500, and criminal penalties will scale up to $250,000 and as much as three years in prison.
The current registration scheme covers only general civilian use of drones, not commercial drone operations. The FAA said it's preparing a commercial online registration system for spring 2016.
Drones have proven a thorny issue for the FAA, with the organization trying to strike a balance between safety, security, privacy, and allowing their growth to continue. Some companies, most notably Amazon, have been waiting on the FAA to cement commercial rules so they can begin aerial delivery services.
Comments
I've seen cops give tickets to a skateboarder who went through a light and I once saw a cop give a ticket to a 13-year-old who was riding their bike on the sidewalk, so I'm pretty sure they'll go after drone users (not that I've seen many people using one, not even in the park).
If I call my quad(s) a quad and not a drone, am I exempt? How about an R/C airplane? Are all of those over 1/2 a pound needing to be registered now? The FAA's site is not specific.
http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/faqs/
And for commercial use? Still foggy if they even have jurisdiction.
"
(1) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.—Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor- tation, in consultation with representatives of the aviation in- dustry, Federal agencies that employ unmanned aircraft sys- tems technology in the national airspace system, and the un- manned aircraft systems industry, shall develop a comprehen- sive plan to safely accelerate the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system.
(2) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan required under para- graph (1) shall contain, at a minimum, recommendations or projections on—
(A) the rulemaking to be conducted under subsection (b), with specific recommendations on how the rulemaking will—
(i) define the acceptable standards for operation and certification of civil unmanned aircraft systems;
(ii) ensure that any civil unmanned aircraft system includes a sense and avoid capability; and
(iii) establish standards and requirements for the operator and pilot of a civil unmanned aircraft system, including standards and requirements for registration and licensing;
(B) the best methods to enhance the technologies and subsystems necessary to achieve the safe and routine oper- ation of civil unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace system;
(C) a phased-in approach to the integration of civil un- manned aircraft systems into the national airspace system; (D) a timeline for the phased-in approach described
under subparagraph (C);
(E) creation of a safe
(F) airspace designation for cooperative manned and
unmanned flight operations in the national airspace sys- tem;
(G) establishment of a process to develop certification, flight standards, and air traffic requirements for civil un- manned aircraft systems at test ranges where such systems are subject to testing;
(H) the best methods to ensure the safe operation of civil unmanned aircraft systems and public unmanned air- craft systems simultaneously in the national airspace sys- tem; and
(I) incorporation of the plan into the annual NextGen Implementation Plan document (or any successor docu- ment) of the Federal Aviation Administration."
Page 63 onward:
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt381/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt381.pdf
Oh and due to "(2) flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft; and.." "Model aircraft" and autonomous unmanned aircraft are clearly two different items, not to mention the "community based organization reference".
But that there will be lawsuits I've no doubt at all. LOL
People who think the FAA can't do this are confused. They are required to do it by law.
"The Secretary and the Administrator recently affirmed that all unmanned aircraft, including model aircraft, are aircraft consistent with congressional direction in Title III, Subtitle B of Public Law 112-95 and the existing definition of aircraft in title 49 of the United States Code. 49 U.S.C. 40102. As such, in accordance with 49 U.S.C 44101(a) and as further prescribed in 14 CFR part 47, registration is required prior to operation. See 80 FR 63912, 63913 (October 22, 2015). Aircraft registration is necessary to ensure personal accountability among all users of the NAS. See id."
SEC. 336. SPECIAL RULE FOR MODEL AIRCRAFT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the incorporation of unmanned aircraft systems into Federal Aviation Administration plans and policies, including this subtitle, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft, or an aircraft being developed as a model aircraft, if—
Of Course I can. Do you know how the FAA works? Congress gives them the authority to make laws. You need to read the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt381/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt381.pdf
Read 112-95 and see section 336.
You are confused. Congress gives the FAA authority to create laws. If you read the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, the FAA hasn't been given the authority to regulate or impose fines on drones.
This is just another example of what happens when you let idiot play with a toy like these drones. Engineers have made them so easy to fly that the average person can now fly them. You know remote control planes and helicopters have been around for a long time and you did not need license or registration to fly them and some of them were fairly large. With a remote control plane it actually requires skills to use them so you did not destroy the plane. Today any idiot can fly a drone and what did they do fly them into people and did all kinds of stupid things. So the government had to step in and feel like they had to fix things.
You know what else is dangerous to aircraft near the ground? Water balloons, catapults with rocks, baseballs, kites, and the toy R/C aircraft we've had for decades that have always been much harder to fly safely. What makes one toy copter a 'drone' (ooh, scary word!) and another not?
And if someone really wants to fly irrespnsosibly, they're not going to display the number on the toy anyway.
Regulate big unmanned aircraft. Not toys. Prosecute anyone who interferes with an airport.
Don't make this more complex than it needs to be. The real problem: R/C toys have seen a surge in popularity due to cost/ease improvements. Anything that is popular will sometimes be used badly. But what, really, is the scale of this problem? How many incidents?
Seems more reasonable to register skateboard owners. I bet they cause many more accidents. Rollerblades too. Also frisbees.
it would be the model aircraft language in the 2012 Act: