USA Drone Registrations SURPASS FAA Aircraft Registrations.

[Doug Robertson]

Michael Huerta, the US FAA Administrator announced this month that required drone registrations (by owner/operator) already far exceed the US FAA Aircraft Registration Database of some 320,000 aircraft. Over 400,000 operators of drones have so far registered their drones as required, with an average of 1.5 drones registered PER OPERATOR.

My math puts that current drone total thus far at over 600,000! "Unlike aircraft registration which is per aircraft, drone registration is PER OPERATOR." Emphasis is mine.

There are already far too many drone flight rule violations reported to comment on. And, I have seen recent ads for drones priced as low as $19.95! One has to wonder how can the drone transmitter control be possibly included in such a low price?

[Doug Robertson]

Of interest, the US Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta is also a registered drone operator, announced 15 March 2016. However, I do not know whether he is an aircraft pilot, considering his real job.

[SunvisorFlyer]

Doug- Regarding the figures you provided, I firmly believe that there are at least 20% of operators who have not registered with the FAA at this time. (which would push your drone total up to 750k)

As for the transmitter, I think some of the smaller drones are controlled via smartphones instead of a dedicated controller.

[Doug Robertson]

SunvisorFlyer,

I am certain you are absolutely correct, and those numbers of drones sold will soar every Christmas or with certain age birthday gifts as age-attained, for example. This will hugely increase the drone population and as corollary-the numbers of unregistered operators. I am unaware that a drone sales package in American sales includes any registration requirement of the operator information.

Thank you for the info on possible drone control systems. I was not aware of that.

It seems there are multiple weekly drone violation reports provided by aircraft pilots re distance from airports and altitude or separation violations. And, this certainly would not include all drone operation violations that are occurring.

[Doug Robertson]

More drone information has been released by the US FAA. They indicate that unmanned aircraft systems will be "the most dynamic growth sector within aviation." The FAA predicts now that 1.9 million hobbyist drones will be sold this year, together with more than 600,000 commercial drones. Further outlook by the FAA is 4.3 million hobbyists drones could be sold PER YEAR by 2020.

Registration of drones by Operator is required for all drones weighing between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds. The registration cost is $5 and is good for three years. Commercial operators must file for an exemption.

The FAA predicts that sales of small commercial drones could reach 2.7 million by the year 2020. But, this prediction is "dependent on the regulatory structure ultimately adopted" for unmanned aircraft systems. The final regulations are expected by June 2016 for small commercial drones. Further, the FAA expects commercial demand to increase when regulations allow drones "to fly beyond an operator's line of sight AND one operator to be allowed to operate multiple drones."

I have two words as comment-YIKES! and CHAOS! for General Aviation. And all along I perhaps naively thought our FAA was ultimately all about safety of aircraft flight.

[SunvisorFlyer]

I still think of wristwatch computers and autonomous flying robots as the stuff of science fiction, not the discount deal at Target.

As for flight safety, I hope that the FAA will require all consumer drones to be equipped with a form of GPS-enabled exclusion zone software. (auto-shutdown if you get too close) Zone off airports, hospitals, schools, etc. from any drone operating nearby. It just seems too easy right now for nefarious folk to hurt others using these devices.

I am curious how the FAA handles commercial or warehouse delivery operations. What types of restrictions must a company abide by if drones are carrying products around the plant? (OSHA rules?)
or What flight paths (if any) must drones follow if delivering products to other sites or to end-users?

[Doug Robertson]

SunvisorFlyer,

I have recently learned that to help identify drones the FAA requires owners to register their aircraft in a federal database BEFORE they fly it OUTDOORS (emphasis mine)-so, apparently strictly INDOOR flight registration of a drone as in a commercial business plant may NOT be required. However, OSHA will no doubt have something to address re indoor commercial drone flight activity, sooner or later.

I will pass on substantially more recent drone published info synopsis: People who do not register their (outdoor) drones could face a civil penalty of up to $27,500 or criminal penalties up to $250,000 and three years in prison for non-compliance.

The US Forest Service says drones interfered with firefighting equipment about 25 times last year, often forcing fire-suppression aircraft to be diverted from fast-moving forest fires.

A small drone meeting weight specification limit or less could disable a jet flying hundreds of miles per hour.

Small drones could carry explosives, chemical agents or possible-hazardous materials over sensitive facilities. Small drones don't carry transponders to signal their position. Largely made of plastic and small, they do not present a radar target for detection.

Twenty-six states have thus far moved to limit police use of drones, bar drone surveillance over private property, or other restrictions. California law addressed drone action over celebrity homes, etc. making it illegal to photograph or record footage of a person or property without permission. Many municipalities have imposed their own drone operation restrictions.

An unintended consequence is the uprising of a market of drone-countermeasures-including devices to disable drones by jamming their signals in mid-flight. DroneShield, based in Virginia, now offers sensors that it claims can detect unique audio signatures of a drone in flight, and alert drones near stadiums, prisons, or other restricted property. They have already installed about 250 acoustic detection systems thus far. They expect the technology to be used in the next Boston Marathon on 18 April, notifying police if drones fly too near runners or spectators.

There is much more on the subject, including numerous in-flight encounter reports by aircraft pilots of drones above permitted altitude and under required separation, but this is enough for one post.