Criminal activity associated with the use of a drone or unmanned aircraft can net you a fine of up to $250,000 and even jail time. That’s raising concerns among hobbyists about what they view as increased government intrusion into a mostly benign pastime. A small registration fee of €5 will apply from February – with the IAA allowing people to register for free until then.
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The Federal Aviation Administration’s registration mandate for model drones was needed because of the proliferation of radio-controlled drones with video feedback that can be operated from beyond line-of-sight distances and elevations.
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 online system will require you to give the government your name, physical address, email address and $5 – paid by credit card.
When flying drones have to stay within 400 feet and within eyesight of the pilot.
“This one here for example has a screen that’s right on so that you can see it”, Purnell says.
Depending on the circumstances associated with a failure to register violation, the FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Recreational fliers can register as many aircraft as they desire on one registration number.
Eastman says safety is most important and there are rules pilots have to follow. “We do need to be mindful of other people when using drones”. But in tripping over itself to impose regulation to prevent a problem that, quite frankly, hasn’t come to a head, the FAA is stifling the tinkering and exploration that has made Americans in the past discover breakthroughs and create new technology. At least 28 resulted in pilots having to take evasive maneuvers, according to a report from the Bard College Center for the Study of the Drone released earlier this month.
Drones flown by hobbyists haven’t caused any high profile disasters just yet, but the number of close calls is unacceptably high.
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“If it cuts the risk in half, if we have only half the accidents because we’ve registered and educated, versus doing nothing, I think there’s some benefit there”, Klingaman said.
