With the rising popularity of remote controlled aircraft, such as drones, helicopters and planes, according to a recent announcement by the FAA, owners of these vehicles ages 13 and up are required to register with the government.
R/C drones are cheaper than ever before, with some models even falling under $100. With this surge in popularity comes increasingly crowded skies, and while yes, these are generally very small craft and not going to take up much space, "the agency [FAA] expects hundreds of thousands of new units to be purchased during the holidays."
That's a lot of small aircraft with cameras flying around. The purpose of the registration is to attempt to both regulate and make safer the usage of these craft. According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, "Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility. 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."
The registration period will begin on December 21st, and aviators are required to be registered by February 19th, 2016. This is specifically for "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." There will be a $5 fee, but "the FAA is waiving that for the first 30 days in an effort to encourage participation."
It is an interesting development that there are now enough of these vehicles in circulation and in the air to warrant federal oversight. When I was a kid, I had a small two-channel r/c plane that weighed a decent amount. It could maybe fly for five minutes per battery, and didn't last very long at all. It was about $130 back then, and now you can get a quad-rotor with a high-res camera for under $100. Strange how aviation has changed.
Any interesting r/c stories in your life? Tell us what you've got, and share your opinion on the new FAA regulation in the comments section below!
