Etopia
News posed some
questions today to Ian Gregor, Public Affairs Manager at the Federal Aviation
Administration Pacific Division, about their recently-promulgated regulation
requiring owners of certain weight Unmanned Aircraft Systems to register their
flying robots with the FAA. Here’s what
he had to say:
Q: How
many of these vehicles have been registered already?
A: We expect
to release registration numbers after we’ve had a chance to compile them
following the holidays. The registration system continues to operate smoothly
and we are seeing steady activity on the part of aircraft owners.
Q: What is
the deadline for registration of newly-acquired systems? What is the
deadline for legacy systems owned before the regulations went into effect?
A: If you operated your UAS before Dec. 21, 2015, you
have until February 19, 2016 to register your UAS. If you purchase your UAS
after Dec. 21, 2015, you must register before you operate it outdoors.
Q: What
are the penalties for not registering?
A: Failure to register an aircraft may result in
regulatory and criminal sanctions. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to
$27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment
for up to three years. However, our near-term focus is on educating
people, not taking enforcement action against people for failing to register.
Q: What
steps does FAA envision taking to enforce this rule?
A: The FAA,
along with our government and industry partners, is engaging in a wide range of
educational outreach initiatives to make sure people are aware of the
registration requirement and what flying safely means.
Register your drone with the FAA here.
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