Has anyone else seen this yet? I think their weight limit is a little ridiculous on the low end 0.55 lbs. Good luck registering all those hobby store quads. And does this mean all R/C aircraft now need to be registered?

http://www.faa.gov/news/press_re ... ry.cfm?newsId=19856

FAA wants all "drones" to be registered starting 12/21. If you buy a new one after 12/21 it's required to be registered before it's first flight, if you already own it you've got till 2/19. On top of that they want $5 to register it, although during the first 30 days it's waived.

I guess the only good thing I can read in there, is if you own multiple and are using them as a hobby, you only have to register once.

When your only tool is taxation, every problem looks like a taxpayer.

$5 for three years. Who knows how much after that. It won't solve any problems (real or perceived), but it will generate money for the FAA.

I am interested to see how many registrations are actually processed for the "millions" of "drones" that are supposed to be out there... assuming they publish the numbers. I also wonder when there is a "sighting" if the police will be knocking on the doors of those who did register.

I think there needs to be education, not just a pointless "You must register and provide contact information."

Seems like this isn't going to fix any problems, but might help track down the people that follow the rules easier. A locked door only keeps the honest people out.

I'll register my P3A, but I think the best place for the registration number is going to be inside the battery compartment. But I'll have to see how long these sUAS numbers are going to be.

I think I may register also,  simply because I can tell people that my drone is registered with the FAA,  that I can fly anywhere unless expressly prohibited by law such as near airports

CaveDrone Posted at 2015-12-14 13:05
I think I may register also,  simply because I can tell people that my drone is registered with the  ...

It's sad to see that the government copped out with a simple tax and registration instead of helping educate some of these idiots. This will not prevent future incidents whatsoever. It will only help track down the idiots, that is, if they even registered in the first place.

I guess I'll be the voice for the other side?  I say it's about darn time.  We had more than enough slack to try and police ourselves, but as a group we just couldn't resist getting all up in places where we should never go.  It's always the other guy, but I am glad the FAA stepped in to say enough.  At least to the point that now they have a tool to find these idiots and start putting some penalties out there.  It's no different than having to register your boat, or your dog, or whatever else.  I will gladly register mine.  And for those who are complaining that this is just a tax?  $50 is a tax.  $5 is less than what they are going to spend to run the program.  The FAA could have done a lot more.  To me this is good news.

Be cautious on posting a picture of your UAV with your registration number on it, someone could copy that number put it on their UAV and fly into a airplane, who would get in trouble? The guy that is legal that's who.

Half pound to 55 pounds - that will cut out most mini drones, Husban's, Syma X5C's, ECT. The Parrot Bebop just comes within that - me thinks a redesign will be on the cards to slice a 1lb or so off that.

At one point FAA said registration would be free but I see they have gone back on that although $5 is not much - wait until this comes into the UK next year as it will be more like £25.

I still do not think it will work - if you are a blockhead - and want to fly you drone in dangerous situations - 1: you are unlikely to register it! 2: who will in-force the operator to produce their FAA certificate and even if they were bright enough... would they know if it was real or a counterfeit fake?

I still believe the whole drone thing has been overblown by the media, something new which they do not like, and politicians who are afraid to loose a little more power - I don't know how many deaths there have been due to drones in the US but did you know 12 people have been killed taking selfies and 8 by sharks in 2015?     

The thing that really sucks is that even though the first month is 'free', you still have to provide a credit card.  They then charge the card, then rebate the $5.  They are basically going to use the credit card to validate who you are.  This is going to stop a lot of people from bothering to do this.  Heck, I even jumped through hoops to avoid giving my cc number to my Roku device because they have no business having it.  So it looks like it is time to open up a new random email account and get a prepaid gift card from Walmart just to make a point....

clifwlkr Posted at 2015-12-14 14:58
The thing that really sucks is that even though the first month is 'free', you still have to provide ...

You think that's gonna keep them from knowing who you are?  Is this the thing that really sucks, really?  Did you buy your drone with a credit card?  The probably already have all of this info I'm guessing.  They didn't restrict the crap out of your drone or force the manufacturers to put hard limits on heights and line of sight.  If the worst thing they want to do is track my drone with some numbers and charge $5 to my credit card, I'm game.  

As far as not registering because of all of this stuff, I don't think it's really optional.  That's a pretty steep fine.  I am sure some will blow it off, and some will get fined to show that they are serious.   

"Seems like this isn't going to fix any problems, but might help track down the people that follow the rules easier. A locked door only keeps the honest people out."

Exactly. The people who register are, by definition, the ones who are prone to following the rules. Those who would flaunt the rules are those who are not likely to register anyway. This is another example of punishing the "honest" people because of a few rule-breakers. All with a solution that will do nothing to change the behavior of the rule breakers.

"someone could copy that number put it on their UAV and fly into a airplane, who would get in trouble? "

One obvious problem with the system.


"I think I may register also, "

I think you better (if you are in the US). It is not optional. I think I read the fines go up to $27,000.

"We had more than enough slack to try and police ourselves"

With "millions" of UAVs out there and the few verified incidents, I think the problem is overstated. This is press generated hysteria combined with a governmental agency's inherent need to grab for more power and money.

"The thing that really sucks is that even though the first month is 'free', you still have to provide a credit card"

I didn't read that in the press release. I was considering going for the "free' registration. Now, I think I will sell my P3A. I thought I was getting into a fun hobby. With the government doing everything they can to demonize and outlaw these things, it doesn't seem worth the trouble. What could POSSIBLY go wrong with handing your credit card information over to a bloated government bureaucracy?

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-12-14 14:43
You think that's gonna keep them from knowing who you are?  Is this the thing that really sucks, r ...

Actually, I just don't want them to have my credit card number, as government sites are not known for their security.  Some crappy government contractor is going to build this thing and the cc numbers will be out in no time.  Thanks, but no thanks.

For me, doesn't matter as I already have my phone number on my drone as if something were to happen, I would like it back.  That is all they should require, as that more than covers everything without spending 56 million on a bad website that provides no more than a simple phone number.

jrm11 Posted at 2015-12-14 15:58
"Seems like this isn't going to fix any problems, but might help track down the people that follow t ...

Seriously?  Punishing the honest people?  You consider having to provide a name and address and $5 a punishment?  You probably gave DJI more information than that when you bought the thing.  If this is that much trouble I am not sure what hobby to suggest for you.  I mean I just had to buy a hunting license and OMG they wanted to know who I was and where I lived.  Oh yeah and they wanted $100 to kill a deer.  I mean seriously.  Somebody could copy your license plate and go out and commit crimes, because criminals don't register their cars only honest people do.  This is all BS.

Fact of the mater is if you register and fly the way you are supposed to this is a non-issue.  If you don't and they catch you, you get fined, and big time.  Sounds like a good idea to me.

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-12-14 17:09
Seriously?  Punishing the honest people?  You consider having to provide a name and address and $5 ...

Yes, seriously.

When I purchased my quad, I voluntarily gave DJI whatever info I gave them. I gave more to the retailer since they had to process my credit card and ship to my home address. I also gave them money.

Those were the terms of the sale. In return, I received a product. Two private parties agreeing to a transaction.

Now the government wants $5 for the first three years, my credit card data, more personal data (already linked to my P3 via the original sale). After 3 years, the cost may or may not go up. I have no choice, no input into the transaction. Plus, I get ZERO in return. If you think it is so great, send ME $5. It's only $5, right? I'll give you the same thing the FAA does... a piece of paper stating you gave me $5. Heck, I'll go one better and give you TWO pieces of paper!

This is a do nothing, feel good piece of BS. It is retroactive and not what I agreed to.

I also hunt. I don't like the fees and restrictions, but that is the price of the game. Those were the rules going in and I did so willingly. Hunting license money in my state goes to the conservation fund, so I actually see some return on my investment.

Cars are not a valid comparison. You cannot buy a car from a dealer without registration. Even a private transaction gets flagged when the old owner turns in his plates. You are almost guaranteed to get pulled over if you don't have tags on your car. A 1lb quadcopter is a different situation.

If it's not a punishment, what is it? A reward? You honestly think forcing a registration scheme on the public will make things safer? However small, it is an unnecessary burden levied by the government.

As a hunter, here is something you might understand. New York had COBIS. Tens of millions of dollars spent cataloging ballistic fingerprints of every handgun sold in the state. All that money and it never solved ONE crime. (Eventually defunded for that reason). All that money - spent by the law-abiding people - all wasted.

Fact of the matter is if you fly the way you are supposed to, registration should not be required. With a little legwork, they can find the UAV owner without registration.  This only works IF the person registers and IF they write the number on their bird and IF the government recovers the bird (and IF the database works). Set the rules, determine the fines and punish the guilty. Just take your eyes out of my business and your hands out of my pocket.

jrm11 Posted at 2015-12-14 16:40
Yes, seriously.

When I purchased my quad, I voluntarily gave DJI whatever info I gave them. I gave ...

Well you obviously have other issues than just the drone here.  Might I suggest another country?  Regulation to some extent is part of our world, so to suggest that some regulation is somehow acceptable and others is not makes no sense to me.  You get a drivers license, pilots license, hunting, fishing license, etc.  The list goes on and on.  To suggest that somehow because you bought a technology before the government decided to regulate it now somehow exempts you from having to follow the rule of law does not make any sense.  If you're a citizen then the government agency has that authority.  Why buy a hunting license?  Why not just poach?  It's because the government put restrictions on poaching and hunting, and it is because of these restrictions that you are even able to enjoy the sport.  If they just let everybody do what they wanted they would kill off everything that moved.  So they regulated it so we could all enjoy it, and they put massive fines on it to stop people from poaching.  Didn't stop everybody, but it had a big impact as this will too. I go back to what I said earlier I applaud them.

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-12-14 18:45
Well you obviously have other issues than just the drone here.  Might I suggest another country?   ...

That's cool. You are entitled to your opinion.

You welcome government regulation. I do not. You  feel the government will protect you and is always looking out for your best interests. I do not. You feel that people are inherently stupid/bad and need a nanny state to over-regulate everything. I do not.

It's just two different philosophies. No reason to get all hot under the collar about it. It's not like any comment on this forum is going to affect policy.

For the record, I never claimed to support regulations. I agree that some regulation is inevitable, but it is rarely desirable. The complexity and burden of over-regulation in this country is a problem, and it is getting worse. This FAA rule isn't the worst of it, but it is an additional one, not to mention unnecessary.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I will stay here in the USA. Perhaps YOU might consider another country where there are more government regulations to guide and monitor your everyday life? Believe it or not, the US still has more freedom than some other places. Rather than championing and applauding the erosion of these freedoms, perhaps you would be happier in a place where they are already gone?

Not sure how you inferred I should be exempt from anything. I merely stated the rules had changed. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I am simply considering selling my P3.

Registration will do nothing IMO to make anything "safer." That means more regulation is inevitable as this step didn't solve "the problem."  I wouldn't be surprised if the hobby is effectively banned in the next few years. It's already banned in national parks. In the past few months, most local jurisdictions to me have imposed some sort of ban on flying. The writing is on the wall, so now seems like a good time to recoup a portion of my investment.

I wonder if you will have the same "pro regulation" opinions when there is a regulation which crosses your personal line of infringement. Will you applaud a complete ban on all "drones" because it is for the "greater good?" Will you thank them for confiscating your Phantom because _their_ equipment clocked you at 401ft?