Flying Hobby Drones is not just for those adventurous folks, or those guys that love to shoot things with their airplanes and helicopters. It is a hobby that is growing exponentially all across the world. Many new hobbyists are finding it difficult to operate their personal flying craft safely. In order to keep your hobby flying smoothly you must be familiar with all the rules and regulations set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and all Federal, State, and local regulations.
There are two types of flying hobby drones, the first is a low altitude or “micro” helicopters and the second is larger and more complicated, such as dragonflies and cockpits. The first type of drones is usually very maneuverable, capable of high speeds, and able to circle the area in which they are flying within a relatively short time. Micro helicopters, on the other hand, are not as maneuverable but can maintain a constant altitude and will not fly into areas that are too densely forested or populated. The second type of drone is much more complex and usually requires more maintenance and specialized knowledge to fly safely.
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In order to be successful and stay within the safe confines of your home you need to be familiar with the laws regulating the operation of UAVs or unmanned aerial vehicles. These laws differ from state to state. In some states an individual who owns a UAV must seek special permission from the local municipality to use the UAV for personal hobbies or for farming or business. It may also take several months before the operator receives approval for the operation of their UAVs. Some areas have even passed ordinances that prevent people from operating UAVs if they have not received proper training or written permission from the local governing body.
A very interesting piece of legislation exists that seeks to apply to all areas of the country. The FAA has been collecting information about different types of flying hobby drones, how they are being operated, and where they are being used. In the past, operators would have been required to register their UAVs at a local airport in their area. Once the operator was issued a certificate of ownership, they would then be able to operate their UAVs within the boundaries of the designated airport, provided they never made flight within the restricted area. This was a great way to be proactive about having controlled airspace, but the FAA has now introduced legislation that would eliminate this requirement by July 2021.
Other areas that have seen the introduction of legislation regarding UAVs that could potentially affect hobby drone pilots include the prevention of the use of remote-controlled aircraft in wildfire burning. The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing that all UAVs operated by hobbyists be required to register and remain under the jurisdiction of the local fire department. If a remote-controlled aircraft is damaged or lost, it can be difficult to find the pilot and recover the craft. The new proposed law would allow the FAA to coordinate with local fire departments to locate and recover an aerial firefighting aircraft in the event that it was lost or damaged by a hobbyist’s UAV.
In addition to reducing the likelihood that remote-controlled flying hobby drones will be used for wildfire fighting this would also prevent the FAA from regulating size restrictions placed on the average hobby UAV. Currently the maximum weight of a UAV is about five kilograms, but many enthusiasts operate their UAVs much larger than this. One factor that has been brought up regarding the potential increase in size of these craft is the inability to see the UAV or locate it using traditional methods. As it stands now if a remote-controlled flying craft weighs 250 grams, it cannot be detected by radar. This is problematic for small UAVs used for hobbies such as aerial photography, video games, or windsurfing.
The lack of traditional radar detection makes finding and retrieving lost drones much more difficult, therefore decreasing the chance of accident and loss of control. The FAA is attempting to fix this problem by introducing measures that would prevent the average hobbyist from owning and operating UAVs unless they obtain an additional license. Currently there are regulations in place that only allow the operation of UAVs within designated private property. As more people become interested in aerial photography or other uses of UAVs that range from gaming to commercial purposes, the ability to safely and legally fly UAVs closer to private property will become more defined. As the use of UAVs increases the need for safe guidelines will arise for operators of UAVs in the area of local, state, and federal aviation regulations.
As stated at the beginning of the piece, this article is a general overview of two laws that impact the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in current and future UAV legislation. This overview is based upon the assumption that the current laws apply to the operation of small UAVs. If the laws were different, the analysis would change. A representative of the FAA would most likely need to survey the area to determine the effect of any proposed changes to the current two laws. It is important to remember that the FAA is an independent office responsible for the regulation of all United States aerospace organizations.