FAA Announces Small UAS Registration Rule

News Robot

Drone Enthusiast
From sUASnews.com



WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a streamlined and user-friendly web-based aircraft registration process for owners of small unmanned aircraft (UAS) weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms) including payloads such as on-board cameras.
The Registration Task Force delivered recommendations to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on November 21. The rule incorporates many of the task force recommendations.
“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”

Registration is a statutory requirement that applies to all aircraft. Under this rule, any owner of a small UAS who has previously operated an unmanned aircraft exclusively as a model aircraft prior to December 21, 2015, must register no later than February 19, 2016. Owners of any other UAS purchased for use as a model aircraft after December 21, 2015 must register before the first flight outdoors. Owners may use either the paper-based process or the new streamlined, web-based system. Owners using the new streamlined web-based system must be at least 13 years old to register.
Owners may register through a web-based system at www.faa.gov/uas/registration
Registrants will need to provide their name, home address and e-mail address. Upon completion of the registration process, the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.
Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.
The normal registration fee is $5, but in an effort to encourage as many people as possible to register quickly, the FAA is waiving this fee for the first 30 days (from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan 20, 2016).
“We expect hundreds of thousands of model unmanned aircraft will be purchased this holiday season,” said FAA Administrator Huerta. “Registration gives us the opportunity to educate these new airspace users before they fly so they know the airspace rules and understand they are accountable to the public for flying responsibly.”
The online registration system does not yet support registration of small UAS used for any purpose other than hobby or recreation – for example, using an unmanned aircraft in connection with a business. The FAA is developing enhancements that will allow such online registrations by spring of 2016.
 
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Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
stay tuned, we might do a special "Drone" Radio Live episode tonight to discuss this.
 

jfro

Aerial Fun
It was less than I feared. Good news is minimum personal information and once registered, your one ID number goes on all your MR's. I have a bunch and their configuration is changing all the time . I was afraid I was going to be registering all of them separately and redoing them every time I changed something......
 

jfro

Aerial Fun
“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”

Be interesting to see if this means the FAA will make all the rules and laws for the skies. Making local laws null? Be nice to have consistent regs everywhere here in the States....
 

ProfEngr

Member
Since I don't read legalese-doublespeak, did they include fixed and heli craft as well? Or just our corner of the field?

Also, as far as sUAV's purchased before 12/21/15, what constitutes the actual vehicle? FC, motor, ESC, frame, etc? I plan to go DIY for my first build.
 

Bartman

Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
the registration is being applied to individuals so you'll register yourself as an operator and then all of your aircraft will be required to carry your registration number/info.
 

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fengshuidrone

Guest
Just register a drone and all your builds can use that number too. SWEET! Way less restrictive than I feared. That seems almost........resonableo_O:):D
 


F

fengshuidrone

Guest
No, after the 21st. Operate as if no law exists until then, because one doesn't.
 

Giovanni59

Member
I am glad for this, I have been wanting this to become official so it differentiates us from the amateurs.
Seems pretty painless and brilliant to have one registration number for all the UAVs. Are you sure the government planned this?
Seems too logical for them.
 
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mediaguru

Member
Odd thing is it is worded such that if you intend to use them for commercial, you don't have to register this one.
 

Old Man

Active Member
Not odd really. If you are legally operating commercially you have a 333 waiver. If you have the waiver you know one of the standard waiver requirements is to register each of your aircraft before they are operated commercially. If you are legally flying something commercially it has already been registered. That registration process is different from the hobby "drone" process, using the long standing FAA aircraft registration process and tossing the FAA a $5.00/aircraft registration fee.

So nobody can start thinking that because they are registering their hobby stuff they are suddenly entitled/qualified to start operating commercially without a 333 waiver. Not even close to the same game. What is interesting is that RC models do not appear to be exempted from the registration requirement. The AMA did not get lucky.
 

Old Man

Active Member
“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”

Be interesting to see if this means the FAA will make all the rules and laws for the skies. Making local laws null? Be nice to have consistent regs everywhere here in the States....

JFRO,

The FAA is the organization that currently makes and enforces all the blanket flight and airspace regulations. Cities make additional regs that cover some low level operations relative to noise and safety but a lot of those get overturned by the FAA. Cities encroaching on small airports get themselves in trouble all the time with the FAA with attempts to curtail civil airport operations. I don't believe any flight or airspace regulation is valid unless the FAA also approves it, up to and including heights of obstructions within "X" distance of an airport and how approach and departure route land use is handled. OTH, cities are provides some federal regulatory latitude and I would think flight operations conducted from city/county owned property is one of the areas where such latitude is provided.
 

Old Man

Active Member
Since I don't read legalese-doublespeak, did they include fixed and heli craft as well? Or just our corner of the field?

Also, as far as sUAV's purchased before 12/21/15, what constitutes the actual vehicle? FC, motor, ESC, frame, etc? I plan to go DIY for my first build.

In response, the following from the FAA site:

"Q. What is the definition of a UAS? Is it different from a drone?


A. A UAS is an unmanned aircraft system. A drone and a UAS are the same for registration purposes.


Q: Does the FAA have the authority to require registration of UAS used by modelers and hobbyists?


A: Yes. By statute all aircraft are required to register. Congress has defined "aircraft" to include UAS, regardless of whether they are operated by modelers and hobbyists."
 


ProfEngr

Member
Old Man, I read those earlier today. I try not to assume anything when it comes to fed dot gov, but it read to me that everything under the AMA 'umbrella' falls into the net as well. I get the implications of what's been handed down. It just saddens me that another freedom in this Country has fallen to the regulatory system.
 

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fengshuidrone

Guest
It (the freedom) hasn't fallen. It was toppled by companies like DJI, all the nameless Chinese drone manufacturers and people who fly like moronso_O The terrorists out there and the Chinese are teaming up to get our freedoms in line with the rest of the worlds freedoms.
 

Motopreserve

Drone Enthusiast
While I understand this will not appease those who are against all regulations, for any activity/possession at all (drone or otherwise), this seems to be about as mellow as it gets. And it certainly is far less intrusive than the tide seemed to be flowing when the "rules" first began to be tossed around by the FAA last year.

Unless I'm reading this completely wrong, this registration is strictly to allow the powers that be to get to your doorstep a little quicker if/when your RC vehicle lands on the White House lawn.

The AMA shot out an update email earlier expressing their disappointment, but mentioned that they were still lobbying to have AMA membership number act in place of a new registration number thru the FAA website.
 

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