WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a streamlined and user-friendly web-based aircraft registration process for owners of small unmanned aircraft (UAS) weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms) including payloads such as on-board cameras.The Registration Task Force delivered recommendations to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on November 21. The rule incorporates many of the task force recommendations.
“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”
Registration is a statutory requirement that applies to all aircraft. Under this rule, any owner of a small UAS who has previously operated an unmanned aircraft exclusively as a model aircraft prior to December 21, 2015, must register no later than February 19, 2016. Owners of any other UAS purchased for use as a model aircraft after December 21, 2015 must register before the first flight outdoors. Owners may use either the paper-based process or the new streamlined, web-based system. Owners using the new streamlined web-based system must be at least 13 years old to register.
Owners may register through a web-based system at www.faa.gov/uas/registration
Registrants will need to provide their name, home address and e-mail address. Upon completion of the registration process, the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.
Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.
The normal registration fee is $5, but in an effort to encourage as many people as possible to register quickly, the FAA is waiving this fee for the first 30 days (from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan 20, 2016).
“We expect hundreds of thousands of model unmanned aircraft will be purchased this holiday season,” said FAA Administrator Huerta. “Registration gives us the opportunity to educate these new airspace users before they fly so they know the airspace rules and understand they are accountable to the public for flying responsibly.”
The online registration system does not yet support registration of small UAS used for any purpose other than hobby or recreation – for example, using an unmanned aircraft in connection with a business. The FAA is developing enhancements that will allow such online registrations by spring of 2016.
The full rule can be viewed here: www.faa.gov/news/updates/media/20151213_IFR.pdf
Q. If a drone crashes in my yard what do I do?
A. Call local law enforcement.
This is in the FAQ and I couldn’t help but laugh. Can’t wait for the day I get to call the cops on a neighborhood kid…
In all seriousness though, how is this going to help stop any type of illegal or dangerous activity like flying it near an airport, pro sports game, or peeping on your neighbors? If I were going to do any of that I wouldn’t be registering it with the FAA just in case it went down. Just as ignorant as a gun registration will stop shootings in my opinion.
Hmmm. Mandatory registration and taxation by administrative fiat. Me no likey.
Wait until you or a loved one is on the first US air liner to crash due to a UAS strike. This country demonstrates that we cannot be trusted with laser pointers a daily basis. UASes are already a serious threat in federally regulated airspace so the lassaire faire principles is a battle lost 85 years ago.
Absolutely. Wait until you or a loved one is shot by a gun. This country demonstrates that we cannot be trusted with guns on a daily basis. Guns are already a serious threat in this country so the lassaire faire principles is a battle lost years ago.
Serious threat indeed. How many people have been killed by them so far? *sigh*
“We expect hundreds of thousands of model unmanned aircraft will be purchased this holiday season,” said FAA Administrator Huerta. “Registration gives us the opportunity to MAKE A BUTT TON OF MONEY FOR OUR AGENCY.”
If this was really about “educating the public” then why the fee?
BTW. This requirement is being driven by a single report that alleges a number of aviation “near misses.” Meaning a pilot allegedly saw a drone. No collisions. Not one. Who funded the report? Are the sightings verified? Who vetted the results?
If you hold an FAA Airman’s Certificate of any flavor (ie: “pilot’s license” or A&P, or even Flight Attendant, etc), be very careful of this whole new UAS regulatory enforcement regime. Based on enforcement precedent, an “Airman”, particularly a Pilot, is likely to be held to a higher level of scrutiny and expectation of compliance in event of any alleged violation. And the higher your rating(ie: Private Pilot, Commercial, ATP, etc), the greater your presumed knowledge of FAA regulations and the bigger the hammer if the Feds decide to take “certificate action”. Don’t be there when someone does something stupid with a “drone”!
My biggest gripe about this legislation is the fact that it lacks the exemption for self regulating communities (language that has been included in almost all previous legislation).
In the past, members of communities like the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) that had stricter regulation than federal guidelines were exempt from any legislation passed in regards to model/remote control aircraft. Now model aircraft pilots like myself have to register and mark a huge number of model aircraft, all because a few idiots flew their store bought drones too close to airports.
I’ve got a number of very nice scale warbirds (Including a Fokker Dr.I that was a winner at the international “Top Gun” RC competition) that now have to be ruined with a big fucking ID number on the side, all for the sake of public awareness.
Totally legit comment.
I would be fine with this if the effort originated from the civilian area. But just to have some three letter agency hand this down is unconstitutional.
Do your duty and write your reps. Also do your duty and ignore this unconstitutional rule.
This ruling from on high by a Hussein Czar will be thrown out the first time it is taken to court.
So now two agencies will regulate this. Don’t forget that the FCC regulates the the radio waves that control the craft.
I’m curious as to how this will be enforced. The FCC can enforce regs because some Hams make a hobby out of tracking down unregistered people causing interference. I have a hard time picturing how anybody would get caught flying a model aircraft without registration unless they were doing something else they weren’t supposed to at the same time.
Make them “molon hobby” t shirts endo Mike
Well it won’t be hard to enforce the registration requirement …. Like cars they will force manufacturers to register each model prior to sale. Like guns you will have to build your own if you don’t want a registration number …
What about model aircraft? I.e. RC planes and helicopters? I have both. Do I now have to go get a registration number? And since one is over the weight by a half pound. What do I do now?
Yes, all model aircraft will have to be registered as well. The AMA is not exempt from this legislation, unlike prior drone legislation.
Does this mean that violations will be felonies? If so, what level?
And there is a federal agency ready to process “hundreds of thousands” of licensing requests when they didn’t have to previously?
I need to stock up on popcorn.