The FAA has released its final rules for drone registration requirements. Every small unmanned aircraft used for hobby and recreational purposes must be registered (you can begin registering on December 21st). This includes traditional radio controlled models in addition to autonomous and semi-autonomous drones. "Small" means 0.55 to 55 lbs.
takyon: Registration costs $5 per operator, but the fee will be waived for the first 30 days to encourage early registration:
Anyone 13 and older can register themselves as an operator; younger children can operate drones under adult supervision with proper registration.
This is only one of the elements of FAA's drone-related rulemaking. The agency is also tackling a set of comprehensive rules for recreational drone fliers and another one for commercial drone operators, such as Google or Amazon.
For now, the FAA's guidance for fliers of store-bought and homemade drones remains the same: Keep your drones under 55 pounds; fly them within your line of sight and below 400 feet; stay at least 5 miles away from an airport; avoid flying near stadiums or crowded places; and take some drone classes or join a club for extra safety.
Related Stories
Like a drone falling out of the sky:
The Federal Aviation Administration's requirement that hobby drone users register their devices was struck down in an appeals court Friday.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of John Taylor, a drone hobbyist who had challenged the legality of the FAA's drone-registration program.
The program, which was instituted in December 2015, required hobby drone owners to register through an FAA website for a $5 fee. Drone hobbyists were then issued a unique identification, which they were required to mark on their drones. Within the first month, nearly 300,000 drone owners had registered.
Previously:
All Drones in U.S. to Require Federal Registration
FAA Drone Registry to be Publicly Searchable
Drones and RC Models Must be Registered by February 16[, 2016]
Nearly 300,000 Recreational Drone Owners in U.S. Database
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:01AM
I predict a boom in the availability of drones that weigh 0.54 lbs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:11AM
Drone swarms.
Instead of one big 10 lb drone - twenty 0.54 lb drones that can be controlled as one big swarm and can carry cargo suspended between them all.
Maybe they can even pull a Voltron and join together in midflight to form one giant drone.
(Score: 2) by gman003 on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:16AM
Any "payload" is counted as part of the drone's mass. I'm not sure if they'd classify a bunch of drones lashed together as a single drone, or just divide the mass of the shared payload among all the drones, but either way you'll be going over the limit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:29AM
So make the drones less than 0.54 lb with more of them. Thirty 0.4 lb drones gets you a 4 lb payload that is still under the limit.
(Score: 2) by gman003 on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:44AM
There is no way that's more cost-effective than buying a single 12-pound drone and paying the damn $5 fee.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:46AM
Depends on your goals. Paying the fee isn't just paying the fee. Its getting put into a database, a database that will be made available to god knows who.
I'm sure more businesses won't have a problem with it because they are already licensed for all kinds of other things. But private owners have all kinds of reasons not to want to be in a database.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:16AM
Yup, it's a safety excuse for now, but when the drones weigh as much as small insects, they'll just have to claim terrorism or something. Of course, the FBI and military will get their hands on them first.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @09:03AM
They already do.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/30/cia-dragonfly-drone-uavs-40-years/ [engadget.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:35PM
That version was unsuccessful. In the ensuing decades there have been advances in robotics, materials, SoCs, data transmission, and battery energy density.
Ultimately the CIA et al. will want them much smaller than a dragonfly, like a house fly, or even a speck of dust that won't be noticed or swatted, and recharges passively.
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(Score: 3, Insightful) by jdavidb on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:07AM
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:14AM
Representative democracy. You live in one.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:27AM
I don't remember the constitution giving the government such a power, either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:31AM
Apparently your memory is quite poor:
Clause 3, section IV - All unmanned aircraft are subject to licensing by the federal aviation administration.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by mhajicek on Tuesday December 15 2015, @05:47AM
Nope. We live in an aristocracy that pretends to be a representative democracy.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @07:25PM
That is only as true as you permit it to be.
Seriously, if you believe that's the whole truth than why even bother participating in the democratic processes at all? It is just a waste of time and energy right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:37PM
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday December 15 2015, @06:55AM
Yeah, I kind of expect a lot of push back when RC fixed wing planes, having been around for decades, and never having been used for the imagined terrorist attacks, and which can't hover, are lumped into hovering spy machines.
Guys spend years hand making balsa planes, accurate to the gnats ass, and then have to pay and register to fly them in an open field?
Just so some company can import cheap spy tools that require no skill to fly and server only a voyeuristic purpose!
And after the government grabs the money and the data, how are we made safer from the voyeurs or the terrorists?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday December 15 2015, @11:57AM
server only a voyeuristic purpose!
"only"? What's wrong with a "voyeuristic purpose"? The US government spends billions to send such things to Pluto and Mars, for example.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:12PM
My "spy tools" don't even have a camera you fuckwit.
This wasn't cause by "drone pilots" doing stupid stuff, this was caused by kneejerk faggots like you that assume I must be looking at their daughter. Well I don't even have a camera on the fucker, I just think its a challenge and a joy to fly a quad copter.
So what do you love, I hope its guns. I hope they put your name on a list because your a wannabe murderer cause why else would you want a gun? Right? I can assume the worst about others even if I have little understanding of their passion? Go FUCK yourself your fucking fuck.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @10:55PM
Amen!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:27AM
Or let me be me
So let me see
Oh sorry, this song reference is too old for ya.
Well fuck you!
Gonna mod me down on Soy but then
It'll feel so empty without me
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:44AM
> stay at least 5 miles away from an airport;
That's going to make recreational drone usage impossible for a majority of the population. For example, central park in NYC is about 4 miles away from LaGuardia. Everywhere there is any significant population there is at least one airport nearby.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:52AM
http://blog.cameralends.com/2015/02/23/where-to-fly-a-drone-in-new-york-city-legally/ [cameralends.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:54AM
Great news! You can play with a drone simulator in a video game instead! All part of the plan to make sure you never ever do anything in real life! That way you'll never learn to do anything that could threaten the establishment!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:59AM
Or what? Gonna throw me in jail. Write me a ticket. Put me on the No-Flies list. Take my toy. Lets keep in mind that these are NOT aircraft. They are toys.
Ok, what if it weighs more than 55lbs?
Signed
Fly baby.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:10AM
You can tell that to the FAA [faa.gov]:
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @05:48AM
If you don't live in the USA and they let you register, do it too. Register for someone else who may need it (maybe wish to visit the USA and fly one)...
(Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:30PM
This is the information that is required:
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:21PM
I wonder what will be "Other information as required by the Administrator." in practice.
When registration opens fire up your tor browser and start registering as many as you need.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:19PM
That is actually pretty reasonable; I was worried that SSN would be on the list of requirements.
However the "Other information as required by the Administrator" is just lovely.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:43PM
I'll forgive "Other information required by the Administrator" and assume it is just cover your ass/bases language.
They have everything they need there to black bag you: name and address. Email address is interesting... email but no phone number? The email could easily become an NSA/DEA selector. I checked the FAQ and the email is used as a "login ID" and to send you an electronic certificate.
Your registration number must be written on all of your drones somewhere, but it can be "hidden" as long as it is readily accessible, such as in the battery compartment.
http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/media/151213_SORN.pdf [faa.gov]
...barring security problems with the interface.
DEA/FBI et al. will quickly get the whole list.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @06:09PM
They have everything they need there to black bag you: name and address.
How do they verify those are real?
Like I said, lots of people should submit as many registrations as they want. Not all of the registrations have to be real and I recommend you use different Tor sessions for the registrations and the creation of the email accounts. Or use throw away/disposable email addresses- a fair number of sites do it; others could read the verification mail, but that makes it even better.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @06:39PM
If you are one of the foreign anons wondering about the registration, they actually have a slightly different process for foreign nationals:
http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/faqs/ [faa.gov]
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:13PM
And what if you put 8 bullets through the stomach (so it is a painful death) of anyone trying to fine you?
Ofcourse they are trying to ban guns too.
There really needs to be a revolution. It is the only way.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @06:15PM
From what I see the cops are more likely to put 8 bullets through you. And get away with it.
There really needs to be a revolution. It is the only way.
If the US people are too stupid/incompetent to pick good leaders using their votes what makes you think they'd do significantly better picking leaders using their guns?
Remember nobody forced them to vote the way they do- there were other candidates. While some of the elections may be diebolded, not all of them are - you can do a random survey for yourself and find out the sad truth that there really were many people who actually voted GWB in the second time.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:07AM
Let's say hundreds of thousands of kids get expensive drones for Christmas, and the registration just isn't completed for many "operators".
When will not having the registration become a problem? For amateur reporters and anybody filming the police/FBI using drones (example: First Amendment audits). They will get stopped and face demands to see registration, and possibly ID. In fact, maybe the need for identification to verify the "registered operator" status could become an end-run around state laws that don't require identification when it is demanded without detention or arrest.
And anybody who gouges an eye out or hits someone in the shoulder using a drone had better be registered.
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:20AM
I have a feeling that they might eventually figure out a legal way to demand an ID, from the operator a motorized vehicle requiring a registration.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:22PM
That's old news. To get around it you take alternate transportation to the site or park your car far, far away from the audit. In some videos you can watch as cops stalk a guy all over the place to his vehicle in order to illegally run his plate number or find some reason to pull the driver over.
The remaining method the cops have is to take a picture of your face with their own smartphone.
Keep in mind this is all over legal activities (filming from a sidewalk or other public area). They will claim they want your identity or contact details in order to check up on you if there is a terrorist attack, citing their "policies".
This is assuming they don't resort to assault and false arrest, or false detention to get your ID.
"What's going on?"
"I just want to talk to you."
"This is a sensitive area."
"I don't know what you're going to do with this video."
"Who are you with?"
"Don't you know there's been terrorist attacks recently?"
"I want to know who I'm talking to."
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:29PM
Why bother?
The cops can legally run your plate as they drive the other way, courtesy of thousands of scumbags with warrants or stolen vehicles. That's settled law.
The cops can ask for your license even without probable cause, whether at a checkpoint or when you're fishing. Enforcement of a drone license could only happen during operation ("hey you, autonomous GPS AI, gimme your license"), and it won't be hard to argue that witnessing dangerous operation is not necessary wen they want to sweep the RC airfield.
It's got nothing to do with your car, though it works the same: You are operating a vehicle requiring a license, you may be prompted to prove that you indeed have a license for it and that you are the person whose name is on the license. If you can't, enjoy your fine.
Whether the license has your picture on it, or you show your passport, is irrelevant to the basic notion that you need to prove you're licensed.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:52PM
You are not necessarily required to identify yourself in all states if you are on foot and not in your vehicle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes [wikipedia.org]
If you are in a state where they can't ask for your name/address/ID without detaining or arresting you, you can just refuse or walk away. But they might stalk you to get information on you, photograph your face, or illegally detain/arrest you in order to get your ID.
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(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:58PM
There is such a thing as abusing license plate info:
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/9-investigates-cops-abusing-statewide-database-sys/nftmM/ [wftv.com]
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-01-22/news/os-law-enforcement-access-databases-20130119_1_law-enforcement-officers-law-enforcers-misuse [orlandosentinel.com]
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140703/12141627774/documents-show-100-officers-28-law-enforcement-agencies-accessed-photographers-records.shtml [techdirt.com]
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(Score: 4, Insightful) by KilroySmith on Tuesday December 15 2015, @03:57AM
This is not a requirement to register drones. By saying that a single registration can cover all drones that a person owns, this is a registration of people. It's no different than a driver's license. A police officer is not going to ask to see the registration number on the side of your drone, like they might do for an airplane. Nope, that's meaningless. A police officer will have to see your FAA registration, match it against the number on the drone, and then your picture ID to prove that you're the person named on the registration.
If you're flying over an event that garners police attention (say, a protest or demonstration), this regulation specifcally gives them the ability to require your government ID.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @05:02AM
> This is not a requirement to register drones.
> ...
> A police officer will have to see your FAA registration, match it against the number on the drone,
How are they going to match it against the number on the drone unless the drone is registered?
(Score: 3, Touché) by frojack on Tuesday December 15 2015, @06:59AM
This is not a requirement to register drones.
What part of the first paragraph did you find difficult to understand?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by FatPhil on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:23PM
Quoth FAA:
Q. If I own multiple drones, do I have to register them all?
A. No. You may register once and apply the same registration number to all your UAS.
Therefore, the registration number *does not identify a vehicle*, it identifies a set of vehicles all associated with one common owner, therefore it actually identifies the owner of the vehicle.
GPP's point stands.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by slinches on Tuesday December 15 2015, @08:38PM
Therefore, the registration number *does not identify a vehicle*, it identifies a set of vehicles all associated with one common owner, therefore it actually identifies the owner of the vehicle.
Yes, except who in their right mind would voluntarily label their drone if they intend to use it in a legally questionable way (it doesn't even have to be a permanent mark)? And then even if for some strange reason the person being irresponsible with the drone did jump through the hoops to register and then leaves the label on it, the label will be destroyed along with the drone in many (especially the most severe) incidents.
This seems idiotic. Just relying on the honor system would be equally effective and wouldn't cost the taxpayers anything.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @07:35AM
Because, as THEY LIVE has demonstrated, they have to remain apart from the invisible droids already patrolling the planet and contributing to the mind control.
I swear, this planet seems more and more like ST:Insurrection.
Now pardon me, I have some 'skin stretching' to do.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by OwMyBrain on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:27PM
Seems like a great time to take up a hobby in model rocketry.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday December 15 2015, @06:25PM
This [youtu.be] is their real fear.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @07:00PM
The registration is bad enough, but they snuck THE METRIC SYSTEM into this regulation and CONCEALED IT by stating pounds!
The registration starts at 0.55 lb which is, wouldn't you know it, exactly 0.25 kg! That's 250 grammes for you Frenchy-loving, One World Order bootlickers! Our freedom is being taken away by those who cleave to foreign patterns of thought.