According to Forbes, a document leaked online and captured before it could be removed outlines some of the FAA's thinking with regard to the implementation of regulations for drones under 55 pounds -- a final decision about which is due by the end of the year. While the document (titled, "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regulatory Evaluation," and dated February 2015) could be in its early stages, one of several porposals, or something that has since been modified, it gives a glimpse into at least some of the FAA's thoughts on the subject. Specifically, the 79-page document outlines less stringent regulations as well as the fact that the FAA sees an immensely positive social and economic impact in drone use.
Highlights of the outlined policies include a registration and licensing process that involves a 30-minute written test, a background check by the TSA, and a less-than-$300 overall licensing fee, all of which are to be renewed every 24 months. An additional $5 per-aircraft registration fee is to be renewed every 36 months.
Restrictions would include policies that mandate line-of-sight piloting of drones (navigating merely through a virtual reality simulator or through other means of guiding the drone from an image on a camera on the drone would not be allowed) flying between sunrise and sunset, and not exceeding an altitude of 500 feet.
Drones would also not be required to undergo the same maintenance and inspection requirements that manned aircraft are subject to, further lessening the burden on drone operators. Instead, drone operators will be required to comply with basic maintenance and pre-flight-check programs as dictated in the manufacturers' manuals for their drones.
According to the document, the FAA believes the social and economic impact of using drones far outweighs associated risks. Potential uses including aerial photography, precision agriculture, search and rescue/law enforcement, bridge inspection, and even safety for laborers working at heights would have an estimated economic impact of $13.2 billion in the first three years while creating 70,000 jobs. That could grow to $82 billion by 2025, according to the report.
For those following new surrounding the regulation of drone useage, this proposal is much more lenient in its regulations than many hopeful drone operators have expected and directly contradicts many of the FAA's recent rulings with regard to various isolated incidents. It is possible, however, that the FAA now sees such great benefit is possible with minimal risk, and that the way recent incidents were handled was more in the interest of safety and agency protection until proper rules could be outlined as opposed to actual agency views.
The full document can be read here for those interested in specifics. In addition to rules and regulations for operating drones under 55 pounds, it includes a hefty cost analysis for everything from operator tests and TSA checks to the cost of change of address forms and the individual and total travel costs potential operators would incur to visit testing offices.
[Via Forbes]
"According to the document, the FAA believes the social and economic impact of using drones far outweighs associated risks.
Yeah, what's a few hundred lives lost every now and then when a drone crashes an airliner when there's billions of dollars to be made? It's easy enough just to pay off the lawsuits...
I'm confused. Do these restrictions apply to a small DJI Phantom as well as a multi-thousand dollar super drone? How are we continually seeing drone footage being used in videos if they are placed under very high restrictions, yet it seems like everyone is using them? Also, if we can leak federal documents, why can't we leak PDF versions of college textbooks?
Yes, this would apply to any drone under 55 pounds.
We keep seeing this footage because it's not expressly illegal to fly them under the right conditions. But people continually break rules -- there's nothing to stop them from doing so. And lately, when something is new or unusual or when it's unclear how to handle a specific incident, the FAA has treated it in a "when in doubt, don't allow it" kind of way.
Finally, "we" didn't leak anything. Leaks aren't leaked by the mass public who generally reads them when they find out later. They're usually unintentionally leaked by the author(s) or someone relatively close to the author(s), as in this case in which they were accidentally posted online earlier. Then, we simply pick it up, too.
Publishers of college textbooks deserve the profits they make because of the hard and very legitimate work they do to combine a countless amount of data in a way that's easily digestible for the sole and extremely righteous purpose of education. Moreover, in almost every case, these books are written by professors that are extremely deserving for the work they do as well. Publishers, therefore, take extra precautions as any business would (and I'm sure as the FAA does, too, despite their recent mistake) to keep the work from being unintentionally leaked and made available via a free-of-charge download. And they rightly prosecute those who break infringe on their copyrights... Textbooks are really just as (if not more) worthy of copyright protection as our photography and videos are.
Thanks for clarifying. The statement I made about the college textbooks was more or less a joke though..
I've found that some of the best uses for my drone all happen between 25-200 feet off the ground. I have a DJI Phantom that I use responsibly. I think no matter the technology people will misuse it but that shouldn't prohibit everyone else from using it.
Are you not the individual who was featured on "Epic Drone Crashes?" And if I'm not incorrect it seemed that it was the winds aloft that took your drone for a ride right in to a tree. Which means that you where not familiar with your flight plan, or your surroundings, for safe flight. These rules and regulations are to make it perfectly clear UAS's are not toys and are complex machines, to be taken seriously.
You got me there.
I'm of the viewpoint of let's get the drones into the hands of properly licensed knowledgeable people who are deemed "responsible" by the FAA and out of the hands of all the morons who are flying them by runways, ruining national park experiences, etc.
We're going to to see some massively epic shots created using drones I just hope it is not at the expense of injuries or death.
Leaked? Not quite but it makes for a better headline! The FAA has since published the Notice of Proposed Rule Making, These are public documents and the NRP is the beginning of the 60 day comment period for interested parties to comment on the rules. Write in.
Here is the cover page, you can find it online quite easily.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Parts 21, 43, 45, 47, 61, 91, 101, 107, and 183
[Docket No.: FAA-2015-0150; Notice No. 15-01]
RIN 2120–AJ60
Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
SUMMARY: The FAA is proposing to amend its regulations to adopt specific rules to allow the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems in the National Airspace System. These changes would address the operation of unmanned aircraft systems, certification of their operators, registration, and display of registration markings. The proposed rule would also find that airworthiness certification is not required for small unmanned aircraft system operations that would be subject to this proposed rule. Lastly, the proposed rule would prohibit model aircraft from endangering the safety of the National Airspace System.
Lift the ban!
http://wh.gov/iKJVn