Ruling Would Include Drones Flown By Hobbyists As Well As Commercial Aircraft

Drone operators may soon be required to display a government-issued ID number on the exterior of their aircraft, according to the Acting Administrator of the FAA.

Speaking at a Bloomberg  Government conference earlier this month, Acting Administrator Dan Elwell said that the agency cannot condone what he described as "unidentified objects" in its airspace, according to a report appearing on the website The Drive.

“We need assurances that any drone, any unmanned aircraft, operating in controlled airspace is identifiable and trackable,” he said. “It’s as simple as that."

The new regulation was filed earlier this month by the FAA. It would require the ID number to be visible on the outside of the aircraft. "This action would require small unmanned aircraft owners to display the unique identifier assigned by the FAA upon completion of the registration process on an external surface of the aircraft," the proposed rule states. "Small unmanned aircraft owners would no longer be permitted to enclose the unique identifier in a compartment."

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report