A recent announcement from the US Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration recently announced the formation of a task force that is charged with the creation of a registration process for unmanned aircraft systems, which are otherwise known as drones.
As many of you likely already know, consumer interest in piloting drones has increased quite drastically over the past year. A large portion of this was attributed to advances in made in flight-enhancing technology such as smartphone connectivity. The concern rises as more drones are found in the sky with untrained aviators quickly becoming a liability to both commercial pilots and bystanders on the ground underneath them.
The issue further escalated when the FAA started to regularly receive reports of potentially unsafe drone activity on a daily basis as well, with sightings of the unmanned craft having double since last year according to the Department of Transportation. The new task force and the upcoming drone registration process is meant to address those concerns. The US Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, had the following to say regarding the matter:
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. It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.
Once the government has a registration system in place, it will make drone owners accountable for rule adherence and safe flight protocols. The task force is expected to help deliver recommendations on registration and additional safety regulations by November 20th. Simultaneously, the FAA will continue education and outreach efforts with its “Know Before You Fly” and “No Drone Zone” programs.
We’ll have to wait and see how everything turns out.
Source: US Department of Transportation, Know Before You Fly, No Drone Zone
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