Portraits of Overreach and Futility

In keeping with the expectations of myriad aviation industry stakeholders, the FAA announced on 13 September 2023 that it would extend the Remote ID enforcement date by six-months. Ergo, owners and operators of Radio Controlled (RC) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)—known colloquially as drones—now have until 16 March 2024 to either retrofit extant UAS with aftermarket Remote ID broadcast modules, or purchase new standard Remote ID-equipped drones.

The extension affords the FAA and UAS manufacturers opportunity to approve FRIA applications and produce adequate numbers of broadcast modules respectively.

The acronym FRIA connotes FAA Recognized Identification Areas—geographic regions in which UAS may be flown without Remote ID equipment. By way of regulation, both UAS and the pilots thereof must remain within the boundaries of a given FRIA throughout the entirety of the UAS’s operation. In addition, the pilot must be able to see the airborne UAS at all times throughout the flight’s duration.

The FAA set forth in its 13 September 2023 statement pertaining to the Remote ID enforcement extension:

“Drone pilots who are unable to comply with the broadcast requirement of the Remote ID Rule will now have until March 16, 2024, to equip their aircraft. After that date, operators could face fines and suspension or revocation of pilot certificates.

“In making this decision, the FAA recognizes the unanticipated issues that some operators are experiencing finding some remote identification broadcast modules.

“Drone pilots can meet this deadline by purchasing a standard Remote ID equipped drone from a manufacturer or purchasing a Remote ID broadcast module which can be affixed to existing drones that do not have Remote ID equipment.

“Remote ID acts like a digital license plate and will help the FAA, law enforcement, and other federal agencies find the control station when a drone appears to be flying in an unsafe manner or where it is not allowed to fly.”

In an antecedent statement addressing the registration of UAS, the FAA asserted:

“Recreational drone pilots may register once and apply their registration number to all the devices listed within their inventory. During registration, you must list the serial number(s) of each Standard Remote ID drone and/or the Remote ID broadcast module. If you use a Remote ID broadcast module, the Remote ID serial number attached to the module must be listed for each non-Standard Remote ID drone you add to your inventory. This will permit you to move the module from one non-Standard Remote ID drone to another so long as each of the drones make/model are listed within the same inventory.

This is not the case for Part 107 pilots who must register each individual device (Standard Remote ID drone or Remote ID broadcast module) separately within their inventory and each device will get a unique registration number”

FMI: www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id,  www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-89