Sheffield aircraft dispatching school reports that as sales and demands soar for recreational drones, federal regulators are beginning to require the drone users to register their aircraft with the government in attempts to restore control over the United States skies, which have been invaded by rogue drones and left the government feeling uneasy and vulnerable.
While basic details and procedures on the drone registration are still being sorted out by the U.S. government, they have concluded that they will be taking swift action to cope with a surge in sales. The sharp increase in recreational drones is due primarily to their affordability and that they are simple to fly, which is causing an increasing interference with regular air traffic.
It is now very serious to be in national airspace. Pilots of passenger planes and aircraft dispatchers are reporting hundreds of sighting or close calls with rogue drones, and such sightings are continuing to increase as recreational drone sales increase.
The FAA guidelines state that drone users are not allowed to fly the aircraft above 400 feet or within five miles of an airport without registration and permission, but officials are largely powerless and have a hard time tracing drone owners.
Regulators hope that requiring owners to register their drones with the government will make them think twice about their responsibility to fly safely. The registration is hoped to be in place by the end of 2015 and will extend to already purchased drones.
The FAA is hoping to impose fines on anyone who recklessly interferes with air traffic or endangers people on the ground. They have the authority to require registration of any aircraft that flies in national airspace, manned or unmanned.