Will Small Recreational Drones Darken The Skies After Christmas?

This is a repeat of some information we published last month as we approached the buying madness that occurs on Black Friday. We are running it again because of a recent report that the FAA says more than 616,000 small unmanned aerial systems (drones) have been registered as required under regulations that were passed last year.

While this sounds like a large number, it actually indicates that many drone owners are not complying with the required registration. Small drones come with legal attachments as they relate to federal regulations. This is a quick and simplified overview of what you get involved in when operating a small drone.

Definition
It gets a little confusing because so many names are used to define the small unmanned aerial vehicles. All the new federal drone regulations only relate to radio-controlled aircraft that weigh less than 55 pounds. You may hear these small aircraft referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned aerial systems (UAS), small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), unmanned aircraft (UA), drones, and model aircraft. Whatever name is applied, they’re all the same thing.

The FAA seems to be using the abbreviation “sUAS” pretty consistently so that’s what we’ll stick with for this discussion.

Registration
Any sUAS that weighs more than about 1/2 pound (25kg) must be registered with the FAA. A registration number must be displayed on the sUAS and the minimum age for registration is 13 years old. There’s more to it than this, and information can be found by starting on the FAA website. There are penalties for not complying with this regulation.

Hobby and recreational sUAS use
The new FAR 101, Subpart E, was created in June of this year and applies to hobby and recreational operators. It’s very important to review this regulation which is also explained in greater detail in the FAA advisory circular, AC 91.57A. The regulations and advisory circular simply provide the definition of model aircraft recreational operation, and a hobbyist needs to know this.

Non-hobby and non-recreational sUAS use
This new FAR 107 regulation goes into considerable detail regarding operating a sUAS outside of the definition for ‘hobby and recreational’ use that is found in FAR 101. Operating under FAR 107 requires specialized training, testing, and obtaining a remote pilot license. FAR 107 is complex and is commonly referred to as the rules for sUAS commercial operation, but it is not actually titled with the word “commercial.”

Operating a sUAS outside of the FAR 101 definition of hobby and recreational use is serious business, and noncompliance with FAR 107 can lead to costly consequences. The FAA also has the capability of issuing certain specialized waivers for non-hobby and non-recreational sUAS use.

Local rules
Some states and local municipalities have implemented rules regarding sUAS operation. Some of these regulations relate to privacy issues and others may even involve separate fees. There is no widely published listing of these local rules, so it’s best if you check with your local authorities.

Summary
To be honest, recreational use is not that big of a deal; you just need to know what you’re getting into, and operate within the FAR 101(C) guidelines and any other operating rules imposed by local authorities.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.faa.gov/uas/