The FAA classifies a drone as an sUAS (small Unmanned Aircraft System). sUAS registration is now mandatory due to numerous crashes and violations. All drones between 0.55 and 55 lbs. must be registered regardless of use. The cost of this registration is only $5 and covers all drones owned by the person registering.
There are many rules regarding drone use and are classified based on whether the drone is used for fun or for work. If the drone is strictly used for recreational purposes, there are no pilot requirements. However, if it is used commercially, the pilot must be certified by passing an exam, must be at least 16 years old, and must be vetted by the Transportation Safety Administration. A recreational user must not fly within 5 miles from airports unless they notify the airport and air traffic control. A commercial user can operate in Class G airspace.
As far as the actual operation of a sUAS, a recreational user must always yield right of way to manned aircraft, must keep the aircraft in visual line-of-sight, not fly above 400 feet AGL, not fly over people, and must follow community-based safety guidelines. A commercial user must abide by all of the recreational rules plus more. They must fly during the day, below 100 mph, and cannot fly from a moving vehicle. Almost all of the commercial rules regarding drone use can be bypassed through the submission and approval of a waiver.
Some more rules regarding sUAS use include not flying inside public buildings, over national parks, in Washington, DC, and near sporting events. If you are unsure of whether you are in a location where it is okay to fly, the FAA has developed a new app called B4UFLY to tell you if there are any restrictions near you.
The application process is quick and easy. You simply go to https://registermyuas.faa.gov, fill out the registration, pay the $5, and receive a unique ID number. This number must be placed on all of the drones that you own and is valid for 3 years if used for fun and 2 years for commercial use.
Failure to properly abide by the rules set by the FAA can lead to costly penalties and even jail time. The fines can reach up to $27,500 for simply not registering. Operational penalties have ranged from $400 to $5,500 and commercial penalties have been up to $1.9 million.
(Please enjoy this video to see what can happen with improper drone use)
References:
1.) https://registermyuas.faa.gov
2.) http://usatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/21/faa-commercial-drone-rules/85641170
3.) https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/faa-/drone-fines
4.) http://jrupprechtlaw.com/tfr-violation
5.) http://pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2491507,00.asp
Love this article! The one thing I wonder about is if the fines will be substantial in the long run. Meaning, will there be people who will actively do what they want and pay the fine? I guess we will see to find out.
ReplyDeleteYeah I guess it depends on the extent of the violation in each case but I would think simply paying the $5 registration would be easy enough for most owners to at least avoid the fine for not registering. You would think it would be extremely difficult for the FAA to catch many people not following the operating rules unless it was an extreme violation near an airport, federal building, etc.
DeleteDrone have become something we can look forward to in the future. UPS is testing to deliver with drones, but is that something we should rely on? It means better business and better efficiency for UPS but what if the drone malfunctions and drops the package off in the street? Does the driver confirm that the drone placed it correctly?
ReplyDeleteGreat information to get a start in the drone trend. I went to a drone ispace talk earlier this semester as an extra credit opportunity, and they presented a focus on weight that can manipulate the current laws. Do you see companies making functional drones smaller than that .55 lbs to fall under the limit to be licensed? I understand the process to be able to fly a standard drone is fairly simple, but if i could use my unregulated drone to do everything i wanted it too, id pay the extra dollar to avoid the registration. what are your thoughts on that weight barrier being a focus?
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