CHRISTMAS MORNING – SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA
A 12-year old boy opens a large package under the tree as his mom looks on with a tired smile. “A drone!” the boy exclaims. “Just what I wanted! Thanks, Mom! Can I fly it, now? Can I, please?”
“I’m sorry, hon,” his mom sighs, “but you’re going to have to wait. Daddy’s still on the FAA website.”
And there you have it. For the first time in the history of Christmas, an agency of the United States government will require you to register your child’s toy before he can begin to play with it.
Why? Good question.
This is the opening paragraph from an article titled "The FAA’s Drone Registration Requirement: A Brief Review" Posted on December 20, 2015 on DroneLaw.com
If you were one of the estimated ¾’s of a million people who, this christmas got a drone, be advised, the federal government, specifically the FAA, has enacted new rules which require you, if you are 13 or over, or if you are under 13, someone who is 13 or over does this for you, to register your drone on the FAA website and pay a $5.00 registration fee before you fly your drone. You must also clearly mark your government supplied registration number on your drone. The federal government calls these drones, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). So really model airplanes would also apply to the rule change.
Is this a good thing? How does this affect regular drone owning citizens. We talk about this and more on this episode.