Before unleashing your new gizmo into the air, drone pilots, take heed: That holiday gift is no mere toy, but an aviation craft that must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, under new rules aimed at keeping the skies and those on the ground safe.
To help mitigate issues of public safety and privacy concerns, drone users will need to operate their craft responsibly under some basic rules, such as a 400-foot height limit and five miles away from airports.
Registering the drones is a first step, and time will soon tell how complex the regulatory road will be for the burgeoning industry of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems (UAVs).
Hawaii’s residents and lawmakers should stay alert to see how well — or not — these remote-controlled craft are handled in the community.
Sales of recreational drones are expected to soar this holiday season: the Consumer Technology Association estimated about 700,000 nationwide will be sold this year, some 400,000 of them in November and December alone, with sales next year predicted to grow 57 percent.
With new technology comes a learning curve, and for most people, that means responsible use. But there’s also high potential for accidents or mischief — or worse, maliciousness — that makes the proliferation of drones unsettling.
Under new rules announced Dec. 21, the FAA requires all drones between 0.55 pounds (about 9 ounces) and 55 pounds be registered (see www.faa.gov/uas/registration).
To encourage compliance, the $5 fee is being waived for registration done by Jan. 20. Penalties are high for failing to register: up to $27,500 in civil fines, and $250,000 and three years in prison in criminal penalties.
Officials stress that efforts at this stage are largely educational, to promote safe flying practices — but they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
“Make no mistake: Unmanned aircraft enthusiasts 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.”
Concerns about safety are being fueled by reports of near-collisions in the skies and on the ground. There have been at least 240 close encounters between drones and manned aircraft under the FAA’s definition of a near-collision, according to a December study by Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone. Of those, 90 involved commercial jets, and 28 necessitated pilots veering out of the way.
Other worrisome incidents: In October, hundreds in Hollywood lost power after a drone flew into power lines; in September, a drone crashed into seats, fortunately empty, at the U.S. Open in New York; in June, a hobby drone caused an air tanker to abort while fighting a wildfire in California.
Clearly, oversight of these devices is needed and greater consumer responsibility must come to bear. The new FAA registration is just one issue for the growing drone industry; another is privacy.
If predictions come true and the number of recreational drones grows exponentially, so, too, will grow the potential for loss of privacy, thanks to camera-equipped UAVs.
The new year might well usher in a new normal, as more drones become part of our island skyscape. The FAA registration is a decent attempt to try to get a handle on recreational drones before full takeoff.
Will the craft prove to be a mere fad, or will they become ubiquitous in our community?
As it is with every hot new technology, the pros and cons of drones in our midst will surely be tested, as will our ability to enact controls that are rightly sized.
