timeline16faadrones
Latest
FAA says shooting down drones is a federal crime
Some judges might think you're allowed to shoot down drones that encroach on your turf, but don't tell that to the Federal Aviation Administration. In response to Forbes' questions, the agency says that shooting down a drone is a federal crime. You're still damaging an aircraft, according to the FAA -- it's just that this one doesn't have a pilot onboard. You could face up to 20 years in prison as a result, which is bound to make you think twice about blasting that drone peeping at your backyard.
FAA considers rules allowing small drones to fly over people
Late last year the FAA implemented rules on drone registration, and now its working group of experts has submitted another set of recommendations. This time the focus is on rules for unmanned aircraft flights over people (who aren't directly involved in the flight of the aircraft), and just as earlier rumors indicated, the group decided that the best way to set regulations is based on the weight of the machine in question. Small drones weighing under 250g (0.55 pounds) could fly over people, depending on their design, while larger drones up to 4 - 5 pounds (the DJI Phantom 4 pictured above weighs 3 pounds) could do the same, depending on their design, if they stay 20 feet overhead or 10 feet away laterally.
US working on rules for flying drones over populated areas
A US government committee has submitted proposed rules to the FAA for drone flights over populated areas, according to the Associated Press. The move would allow much broader use of UAVs for movie filming, package deliveries and other commercial purposes. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned drone flights over cities and crowds except via special exemptions, due to the dangers of crashing into people or commercial planes. However, many industries feel such restrictions are holding back the commercial potential of drones and that the risks are minimal.
FAA: reports of worrying drone flights surged last year
As drones become more accessible and affordable, the chances for abuse go up... and the Federal Aviation Administration has the evidence to prove it. It just posted an updated list of sighting reports that shows how less-than-responsible drone flights surged "dramatically" last year. The data shows that there were 582 reports just between August 2015 and January 2016. Combined with the 764 reports from before (November 2014 to August 2015), it's clear that many people are playing fast and loose with the rules.
Stats show small drones pose 'minimal' risk to planes
Small drones -- the common consumer ones weighing under 4.41 pounds -- pose very little risk to planes, according to a new study by George Mason University's Mercatus Center. Since people have only begun buying up UAVs recently, the team took 25 years of bird collision data from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) wildlife strike database. They found that while there are 160,000 recorded bird strikes since 1990, only 14,314 incidents caused any damage to planes. Most of the culprits were bigger birds flying in formation, and only 3 percent of collisions with smaller birds comparable in size to consumer drones ever resulted in damage.
Drone pilots sign up in droves to fly during emergencies
You may see a lot of stories about civilian drone operators causing chaos during emergencies, but it's clearer than ever that many of them are willing to help out, too. Bard College has published Federal Aviation Administration commercial drone exemption requests showing that a hefty 19 percent of requests from the last quarter of 2015 mentioned emergency services -- six times as many as reported several months earlier. In theory, that could lead to a lot of private pilots helping officials with search and rescue missions or other critical situations.
Over 45,000 drone pilots have registered with the FAA
Now that the FAA's mandatory drone registrations are open, how many people are rushing to sign up? Quite a few, actually. The administration reports taking over 45,000 registrations since the program opened up two days ago, on December 21st. In fact, the demand was sufficiently "overwhelming" that the FAA's site has occasionally buckled under the load. It's temporarily shutting down the site overnight (between the 23rd and 24th) to make sure that it can cope with the likely flood of registrations from people getting robotic flyers as gifts.
FAA confirms that drone registry info will be public record
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Friday afternoon that information logged in its fledgling UAV registry will be searchable by the general public -- just not initially. In an email to Forbes, an FAA spokesperson stated, "Until the drone registry system is modified, the FAA will not release names and address. When the drone registry system is modified to permit public searches of registration numbers, names and addresses will be revealed through those searches."
FAA task force recommends drones over 250 grams be registered
Private companies including Google, GoPro, DJI, Amazon and others have submitted their recommendations to the FAA concerning drone registration. The group determined that all drones over 250 grams should be registered with the government with an owner's name and street address. During the process there would also be an educational presentation about when and where to fly. The idea is that if one of these flying machines falls out of the sky and causes havoc, the authorities will be able to track down the owner. The task force recommended that registration process be electronic and have an API so new owners could register via the device's app if the manufacturer adds that functionality. If you're curious about the weight limit, the team of companies figured that anything 250 grams and lighter would be unlikely to cause the death or serious injury of a person on the ground. Of course these are only recommendations right now. The FAA still has to implement them. But it's good to know it's talking to the industry about the future of our skies.
US transportation department confirms drone registration program
You might call your remote-controlled, quad-copter flying toy a "drone," but to the US government it's an "unmanned aircraft system", and it needs some red tape. Yes, the rumors were true: the Department of Transportation is creating a mandatory registration process for drones and unmanned aircraft. Today, it officially announced the program and the task force that will recommend policies and safety standards.
Drone reports by airplane pilots nearly triple over 2014
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may have loosened up its drone rules, but it'll come down hard on any pilots caught operating them near manned aircraft. The agency said that drone sightings by commercial and private pilots are up nearly triple so far this year from all of 2014, with 275 sightings in June and July alone. One of the more notorious incidents involved a drone operating over a forest fire, forcing water-bomber pilots to the ground. That in turn caused the fire to spread to a freeway, burning several vehicles.
Amazon proposes a delivery drone flight plan
Following the FAA's recent relaxation of commercial drone flight regulations, Amazon is forging ahead with plans to employ the machines for deliveries. But first, the company has proposed some ground rules to keep the fledgling industry flying safely and out of the way of manned aircraft. Currently the FAA only allows drones to climb to 400 feet and they must remain within the pilot's line of sight. They also cannot be operated within five miles of an airport. Amazon's proposal builds off these initial restrictions with faster, long-range drones flying between 200 and 400 feet up. Slower and short-range drones would operate below 200 feet.
The FAA wants you to have a pilot's license to fly commercial drones
If you're planning to shoot your next movie using a drone, beware: you may need to meet some stringent conditions to stay in the Federal Aviation Administration's good books. Sources tell the Wall Street Journal that the agency will propose commercial drone rules that require a conventional pilot's license. Yes, you may need to have flown manned aircraft for dozens of hours to even think of controlling a UAV for cash. You'd also have to fly only during daylight, stay under 400 feet and remain within sight of your craft, so any hopes of high-altitude night shots would go out the window. And these rules would apply to any drone weighing 55 pounds or less; small, easy-to-fly vehicles like 3D Robotics' Iris+ and DJI's Inspire 1 would be subject to the same demands as larger, more complex models.
