Drones for
Christmas worry the FAA
Dan Johnson of Sensurion Aerospace carries the Sensurion Aerospace Magpie commercial drone during an event on Dec. 19 near Boulder City, Nev. (John Locher/AP)
Santa Claus may travel
on a reindeer-powered sleigh, but he’s expected to deliver a ton of high-flying
drones this week to teenagers and other amateur aviators, which is making for
an anxious yuletide season at the Federal Aviation Administration.
On Monday, the FAA and
the drone industry kicked off a public awareness campaign to urge novice drone
operators to pay attention to safety and not do dumb things such as flying too
close to passenger planes, buzzing crowds of bystanders on the ground or flying
that new remote-control helicopter while drunk.
While such advice may
sound like basic common sense, FAA officials have been grappling recently with a hair-raising number
of incidents in which rogue drones
have nearly collided with commercial airliners and other aircraft. And they’re
worried that the growing popularity and affordability of small consumer drones
this Christmas could exacerbate the problem.
“This is an issue of
growing concern,” Michael Huerta, the FAA administrator, told reporters. “This
newer and more powerful technology is affordable to more people, yet many are
not familiar with the rules of flying.”
The campaign is dubbed
“Know Before You Fly” and includes videosinstructing people how
to “stay off the naughty list” when playing with their new gifts. Among the
basics: Don’t fly drones above 400 feet, within five miles of an airport or
near a stadium.
Although Congress has
ordered the FAA to integrate drones into the national airspace, the agency has
moved slowly to impose a permanent set of standards and regulations to ensure
drone safety. Temporary guidelines are in place but are often ignored by drone
enthusiasts or businesses that chafe at the FAA’s restrictions.
The FAA organized the
campaign along with members of the drone industry, which sees huge commercial
potential in selling remotely controlled aircraft but is worried that a midair
drone disaster could severely undercut the nascent business. Partnering with
the FAA in the educational campaign are the Association for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International, the Academy of Model Aeronautics and the Small UAV
Coalition.
Until recently, the
drone industry has been generally reluctant to impose its own limitations or
rules, such as pre-loaded software that would prevent drones from flying above
a certain altitude. Manufacturers and model aircraft users also have been
opposed to requiring recreational drone owners to obtain a special pilot’s
license or a minimum amount of training before they can fly.
Some drone industry
members have urged the FAA to crack down on rogue drone operators. But the
small aircraft can be very difficult to catch or trace unless they are involved
in a crash.
FAA officials have
said they prefer an educational approach to a punitive one. Although the FAA
has the authority to impose fines on rogue drone pilots, it has done so in only
five cases nationwide.
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