The DoT is expected to reveal details of the registration system as early as Monday, and the process should be up and running by the holiday season, sources told NBC News.
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USA regulators have scrambled to regulate drones as they have proliferated in US skies in recent years, sparking concerns from lawmakers, pilots and the general public that the devices pose a threat to manned aircraft. “But even drone enthusiasts who support new rules fear competing regulations and laws won’t keep up with the quickly evolving technology”.
The Federal Aviation Administration receives about 100 reports per month from pilots reporting drone sightings.
The days of largely unregulated hobbyist drone flights in the United States seem to be quickly coming to an end. The government will be hoping a database of drone owners will help persuade the irresponsible few to think twice about disobeying existing rules, while for law enforcement it should, in theory, offer a quick way of identifying drone owners in incidents where it’s not immediately clear who the machine belongs to. The normal safe distance between aircrafts is at least 1,000 feet.
Governments all around the world are growing more concerned about drones, which have recently disrupted air traffic or flown into sensitive areas.
Hobby drones have come under heavy criticism recently for interfering with firefighting efforts and flying too close to airports.
The Department of Transportation plans to announce the formation of a task force on drones, possibly today. Under these guidelines, drone users cannot fly the devices higher than 400 ft., within three miles of an airport and within a one mile radius of stadiums during events.
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This weekend Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced his own plan for drone use.
