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U.S. Department of Transportation, FAA announce unmanned aircraft registration requirement


October 19, 2015   by Canadian Underwriter


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The United States’ Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator Michael Huerta announced on Monday the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

The task force will be composed of 25 to 30 representatives from the UAS and manned aviation industries, the federal government and other stakeholders

The task force will be composed of 25 to 30 diverse representatives from the UAS and manned aviation industries, the federal government and other stakeholders, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a statement. The group will advise the DOT on which aircraft should be exempt from registration due to a low safety risk, including toys and certain other small UAS, and will explore options for a streamlined system that would make registration less burdensome for commercial UAS operators, the department reported.

The task force may make additional safety recommendations as it deems appropriate. Foxx directed the group to deliver its report by Nov. 20.

“Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the U.S. aviation system,” Foxx said in the statement. “It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.”

Every day, the FAA receives reports of potentially unsafe UAS operations, the statement noted, adding that pilot sightings of UAS doubled between 2014 and 2015 – in 2014, there were 239 sightings, but more than 650 by Aug. 9 of 2015. The reports ranged from incidents at major sporting events and flights near manned aircraft to interference with wildfire operations.

Related: Pilot reports of U.S. drone sightings soar in 2015, Federal Aviation Administration says

“These reports signal a troubling trend,” Huerta said in the statement. “Registration will help make sure that operators know the rules and remain accountable to the public for flying their unmanned aircraft responsibly. When they don’t fly safely, they’ll know there will be consequences.”

While the task force does its work, the FAA continues its aggressive education and outreach efforts, including the “Know Before You Fly” campaign and “No Drone Zone” initiatives with the nation’s busiest airports.

Capt. Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said that he “fully supports” the decision to create a task force that will recommend procedures and policy for creating a national registration database for all UAS. “As the operators responsible for flying passengers and cargo, pilots are hyper-focused on ensuring the safety of our aviation system, including the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace,” Capt. Canoll said. “We look forward to engaging in discussions with this task force in developing the procedures necessary to ensure we maintain the highest levels of safety of our aviation system.”

Drone-as-a-service company Measure CEO Brandon Torres Declet added in a release that over one million drones will be sold over the holiday season. “Too many newcomers to the industry have ignored the rules and put aircraft in the national airspace at risk, while commercial drone service providers have made the effort to work with the FAA,” he said. “What the industry needs are reasonable regulations to ensure safe operations while respecting people’s privacy.”


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