Owners of Small Drones Should Register in FAA Database With Name, Address, Task Force Suggests

A 26-member Federal Aviation Administration-chartered task force recommended that owners of drones weighing between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds register before operating their aircraft in the national air space. Owners as young as 13 years old would be required to enter their names and street addresses into a Web- or app-based system, recommended the report released Saturday. It said email addresses, phone numbers and serial numbers would be optional, but an owner's U.S. citizenship or residency status wouldn't be required. The process should be free for owners, the report said. Once owners fill out an electronic registration form, they would get an electronic certificate of registration and a personal universal registration number that they can use on all small drones they own. They must mark the registration number (or a registered serial number) on their drones in a readable and legible way before operating them outside. The FAA wanted the recommendations due to safety concerns as drones proliferate. About 400,000 consumer drones are expected to be sold this holiday season, the Consumer Technology Association said in a statement applauding the task force action. The FAA is expected (see 1511200055) to use the recommendations and other public comments to draft a rule, but hasn't said when it would be released. The task force -- which included representatives from companies like Amazon and Google, airline, pilots and hobbyist associations, and drone manufacturers -- decided it was beyond its scope to address or debate whether the Transportation Department had the legal authority to implement such a registration requirement for small drones. Michael Drobac, senior counsel at Akin Gump, which represents the Small UAV Coalition, said Monday the recommendations are a good step, though work remains before a final rule is issued. "While there is plenty here to cheer or quibble with, one thing in particular worth noting is that the task force’s recommendations represent a good example of government and industry coming together to try to develop solutions that are practical and thoughtful yet don’t constrain an industry that is poised for a great deal of success,” he said in a statement.