Drones for Docility

Jenny Beth Maynard, Managing Editor|October 31, 2015

[Drone] Photo via the Creative Commons License, pixabay.com. Accessed on October 19, 2015.

Amping up its regulation of drones nationwide, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeks to prevent any more close calls with unidentified drones by requiring drone registration and restricting airway access.  The growing accessibility of drones to America’s consumers and “hobbyists” concerns both the FAA and the Transportation Department.

Doug McKelway of Fox News reports that the “congested airways” in recent months have led to many pilots reporting “sightings or near misses with drones.”  Not only does this cause internal navigation issues in the frequented airspace, the situation as it is may pose threats to the drone operators, the aircraft pilots, and even the general public.  Imagine.  A drone above has been classified as an unidentified object.  Feds are on the scene in minutes and thus, a public disturbance has been born.

To stem this flow of miscommunication and unregulated drone flying, the Federal Aviation Administration will now require the registration of both commercial and “toy” drones.  Both the FAA and the Transportation Department are assembling a team of around 30 members who will decide on what qualifies a drone to be necessary for registration.  For example, a small toy drone that can only reach a mere 100 feet above the ground, and weighs less than a pound, may not exactly meet the requirements for registration.  Clearly, this is an understandable point.  On Christmas morning, Billy and his dad may want to get outside in the crisp air to fly their new toy.  Making Billy wait until he gets his mini drone registered to fly would just make Billy a sad little boy on holiday.  No one wants sad Billy. 

These qualifications may deem a drone “risky” or “not risky,” implying that commercial drones flying thousands of feet higher than toys pose more of a safety risk than others.  The FAA assures that they will develop a system that is easy and reasonable for commercial operators to comply with.

[Drone] Photo via the Creative Commons Licese, Wikimedia Commons. Accessed on October 19, 2015.
[Drone] Photo via the Creative Commons Licese, Wikimedia Commons. Accessed on October 19, 2015.
In response to this announcement, Dave Matthewson, executive director of the Academy for Model Aeronautics, says these registrations “should not become a prohibitive burden for recreational users who fly for fun and educational purposes and who have operated harmoniously within our communities for decades.”  Of notable concern, however, is the sudden increase in pilot reportings of drones near planes and airports in the past few months.  Recently, the FAA has received around 100 sightings per month, “compared with only a few sightings per month last year.”

To specify from where this concern has emanated, in recent months, the FAA filed a $1.9 million  fine against SkyPan International, Inc.–an aerial photography corporation in Chicago and New York.  The violation of airspace resulted in an attention boost toward drones.  The operators who have illegally flown their commercial or toy drones in restricted, federal airspace will no longer be able to do so without paying the consequences.  By registering their hovering transporters or their mechanical hobbies, they agree to the FAA and Transportation Department’s stipulations.

Up to date, there have been no accidents of drones hitting planes or falling from the sky but there is still widely felt concern that even a small drone could cause serious damage to an aircraft or person below.  Cross your fingers this holiday season as the number of drones sold to businesses and individuals skyrockets.  The last thing America needs to worry about right now is an ignorant hobbyist or ambitious entrepreneur ruining the chances that drones might revolutionize industries around the nation.
Fly responsibly, America.