Task Force Provides FAA With Drone Registration Recommendations

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Photo: FAA.



Today, the members of a task force provided their recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration on how the agency can quickly implement a drone registration process — a system the agency wants to have in place before the holidays. 



The task force, which was headed up by chairs from the FAA and Google and included representation from AUVSI, reached a consensus that drones between the weights of 250 grams (0.55 pounds) and 55 pounds that are operated outdoors need to be registered. Unlike manned aircraft, the registration number will belong to the operator, so one number can apply to all of his or her aircraft. 



The registrant must be over 13 years old, and there is no citizenship requirement or fee to register. Registrants must provide their name and street address, but all other personal information will be optional. 



The registration process should occur online through multiple avenues, according to the task force. The application could be on the FAA’s website but also through vendor and stakeholder websites. However, operators will only need to register their aircraft before they fly, instead of at the point of sale. 



The FAA would like to implement a registration process within 30 days. The task force made a caveat of its recommendations to the agency, saying it wants the FAA to accept them in entirety instead of piecemeal. 



“AUVSI is encouraged by the work of the UAS registration task force and its recommendations to the FAA,” AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne, who worked with the task force, said in a press release after the announcement. “This collaborative effort is an important step toward developing an efficient process for UAS registration that should lead to increased accountability across the entire aviation community.”



Last week, the FAA warned operators against using rogue companies purporting they can help with registration.



“Owners should wait until additional details about the forthcoming drone registration system are announced later this month before paying anyone to do the work for them,” the agency said in a press release.   

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