FAA’s Drone Task Force Issues Registration Recommendations
A proposed national drone registration system should be based on the pilot, not the craft, recommends an FAA task force. It should also be free, electronic and immediate, and not apply to UAVs weighing 250 grams or less.
In October, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta announced the creation of the task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
The Task Force agreed that it was outside its scope to debate the Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary’s decision to require registration of sUAS or the legal authority for the implementation of such a mandate.
Immediately following the DOT’s announcement in October, the FAA brought together retailers, pilots, industry representatives and others to talk about the proposal and submit comments on how the system should work.
Task force members interviewed FAA officials, met for three days and prepared final recommendations. They agreed on three basic requirements: Owners must fill out an electronic form, immediately receive a certificate of registration and number for use on all UAVs they own, and mark all applicable drones with a registered number.
The Task Force recommendations for the registration process are:
- Fill out an electronic registration form through the web or through an application (app).
- Immediately receive an electronic certificate of registration and a personal universal registration number for use on all sUAS owned by that person.
- Mark the registration number (or registered serial number) on all applicable sUAS before their operation in the National Air Space (NAS).
The Task Force recommended an exclusion from the registration requirement for any small unmanned aircraft weighing a total of 250 grams or less. The exclusion was based on a maximum weight that was defined as the maximum weight possible including the aircraft, payload, and any other associated weight. In manned aircraft terms, it is the “maximum takeoff weight.”
Follow Us