Drones weighing as little as 8 ounces will have to be registered with the FAA if the agency accepts recommendations of a 26-member panel struck last month to design a registration scheme. The panel, which included representatives from Amazon, Google, drone manufacturers and aviation groups, delivered their recommendations to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta on Saturday. Although Huerta didn’t release details of the suggestions, it’s pretty hard to get 26 people to keep a secret so elements of the proposal started leaking out late last week.
The panel wants registration to be free and to be painlessly accomplished online. Rather than register individual aircraft, the group wants operators themselves to be registered so that multiple drones can be listed under their names. It will be up to the FAA to determine the penalties that will apply to those who don’t comply but analysts worry that because the vast majority of hobby users are unfamiliar with aviation regulations that compliance will be slow to start. Aviation groups were adamant that the drones fit into the existing system and that manned aviation not give up any airspace access to accommodate them. Huerta has promised a quick turnaround on the new rules because the FAA wants the rules in place before an estimated 700,000 drones end up as presents over the coming holidays.
