Registration of Drones Now Compulsory in the US.

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New U.S. FAA rule requires drone owners to register by Feb 19 | Reuters'

"The Federal Aviation Administration, responding to heightened concerns about rogue drone flights near airports, unveiled a pre-Christmas rule on Monday requiring drone hobbyists as young as 13 years old to register their unmanned aircraft.

The new online registry will require current drone owners to register by Feb. 19, while anyone who acquires aircraft after Dec. 21 would need to register before their first outdoor flight. After registering, drone owners will receive an FAA identification number that they must display on aircraft weighing between 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and 55 pounds (25 kgs).


Failure to register can result in a hefty penalty, including civil fines of up to $27,500 and criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and three years in prison."

This covers other radio controlled aircraft such as planes, gliders and helicopters as well.
#off topic forum
  • It was bound to happen.

    I think the fines are a bit hefty, however I'm not opposed to the idea. There is potentially a lot of damage that can be done to life, limb and property by drones. Not to mention invasion of privacy issues.

    I guess it's only a matter of time before some ne'er do well starts using drones for evil intent, so perhaps this is a way of pre-emptively reducing the risk of that.

    It's an interesting development though.
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    • And ALSO by rockets, planes, cars, helicoptors, etc... Some of THEM even have recording long distance transmitting cameras. Yet somehow THEY are immune! I wonder, could you have3 or 12 rotors, and avoid registration?

      Steve
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  • If the registration were free, then this seems almost sensible to me. Just register your plane, and keep on flying legally.

    However, if there is a fee, which there almost certainly will be, then it becomes problematic for hobbyists who may have (or built) many different units.

    It also becomes somewhat discriminatory in that of course white suburban kids can afford the fee, but black inner city kids can't. I say "somewhat" because suburban and inner city don't actually equate to white and black, and there are plenty of other things inner city kids don't get to do, and RC doesn't seem a big determination of success other than a predeliction to geekiness does in general.

    But it is a shame they couldn't be bothered to do their job and figure out how to write regulations that apply only to the problematic uses, like in areas with population density or crowd densities over x or for commercial use, while not creating a risk of unreasonable prosecution in the uses that are not, and never were, problematic.

    The fact that they made Timmy flying his toy helicopter around his quarter acre back yard subject to a 5 figure fine is just so typical of the jacknuts who come up with these rules.

    Of course, I would expect nothing less from the fednuts.
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  • Banned

    Hilarious. They have an age limit?

    I guess it's ok for a 12 year old to fly a drone anywhere they want without getting into trouble.

    Reminds me of the Blue Law where you can't buy shoes on Sunday before noon. Trust me, I tried, they won't sell the shoes.

    Chalk it up as another half baked law.
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    • The 12 yr olds parents would be in trouble for not registering the drone. This has to happen - and the first month of registration is free. There have been too many commercial pilots reporting drones in airspace on takeoff and landing and more complaints from the public about invasion of privacy.

      Fines are big to discourage people from not bothering to register...but I wonder how often those fines will be imposed.

      I think registration is the platform for putting some restrictions in place on what people can do - where they can fly - with drones.
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    • Sunday Shoe Shoppers serve Satan and contribute to the decline of society.
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    • It USED to be that anyone under 18, if even by a MONTH was EXEMPT from all this garbage! The NEW cutoff appears to be 13! Don't ask me why!

      There ARE exceptions, of course! The OLD cutoff for SS registration was 18! IIRC, it is now FIVE!!!!!!

      Steve
  • Has anyone else noticed a similarity in style of the posts of Star Man and banned serial troll HN?

    It's probably a coincidence that when HN was banned (again) ,Star Man suddenly popped up proclaiming his own brilliance at everything.
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    • Yes. Both have superiority complexes and post with condescending rudeness. Probably one and the same.
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  • Registration of Drones? Are you serious, its mean a number plate will issued to Drones in near future. So what about Airplanes?
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    Registration of Drones Now Compulsory in the US.

    New U.S. FAA rule requires drone owners to register by Feb 19 | Reuters' "The Federal Aviation Administration, responding to heightened concerns about rogue drone flights near airports, unveiled a pre-Christmas rule on Monday requiring drone hobbyists as young as 13 years old to register their unmanned aircraft.