As Drone Technology Develops, So Do The Rules Of The Air

(Source: bendbulletin.com)  

Among the model trains and radio- controlled cars at D’s Hobbies in Bend sits a growing array of multi-rotor aircraft, ready to fly.

Often called drones and a popular purchase for photographers, the aircraft range from four-bladed copters compact enough to carry in a pocket to eight-bladed monsters nearly as big as a trash can and capable of hoisting a full-size camera. The tiny drones start at $30 each and the bigger drones can cost thousands of dollars. The technology is evolving quickly, said Patrick Maestas, an assistant at the shop on Greenwood Avenue, and flying drones is increasingly popular.

“I’d say in the last one, one-and-a-half years it has really taken off,” he said.

Responding to the growing popularity of unmanned aircraft systems, as federal agencies call them, the Federal Aviation Administration has been crafting rules and giving out information about when, where and how they maybe flown. Last month the FAA announced proposed rules for non-recreational operation of unmanned aircraft. The agency is taking public comment on the proposal until April 25.

“We have tried to be flexible in writing these rules,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a Feb. 15 news release. “We want to maintain today’s outstanding level of aviation safety without placing an undue regulatory burden on an emerging industry.”

Among the proposed rules are age and certification requirements for people flying the aircraft commercially. Operators would need to be at least 17, pass an aeronautical knowledge test and obtain an FAA unmanned aircraft system certificate, according to the FAA.

Current FAA rules require people planning to use unmanned aircraft for commercial use — such as filming or taking photos for TV, movies, real estate or weddings — to either apply for an airworthiness certificate or an exemption to the FAA requirement before flying. So far the FAA is handling such uses on a case-by-case basis.

While the proposed and current requirements do not apply to people flying for fun, there are already some rules for flying recreational drones.

“The rules are simple,” Ian Gregor, FAA spokesman in Los Angeles wrote in an email. “Flying model aircraft for hobby or recreation purposes does not necessarily require FAA approval, but all model aircraft operators must operate according to the law. This includes flying aircraft so they don’t pose a hazard to manned aircraft or people or property on the ground.”

Other FAA safety guidelines include not flying over sporting events, flying no higher than 400 feet, keeping the aircraft within eyesight and contacting an airport before flying within 5 miles of it. The FAA also requires unmanned aircraft to weigh less than 55 pounds.

When people come into D’s Hobbies to check out the selection of unmanned aircraft, most of which are made out of plastic and run on battery power, Maestas said they often have questions about where and how they can fly them. He lays out some of the FAA rules and offers them some advice.

“Common sense is the biggest thing,” he said. “If you have a big crowd you won’t want to fly a six-pound object with four spinning blades on it (over the crowd).”

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