After issuing PART107, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required all UAS owners to register each UAS that is purchased weighing between 0.55 lbs to 55 lbs. If one meets the criteria to register an unmanned aircraft and does not register, he or she will be subject to civil and criminal penalties defined in the U.S. Government UAS regulation terms.
FAA requires operators of UAS to register their UAS according to the rules one follows when flying a UAS, those are:
UAS Flown under the Small UAS Rule (Part 107)
The FAA requires owner/operator of UAS:
- to register the unmanned aircraft under "Part 107"
- label it with the registration number;
- UAS must weigh less than 55 pounds.
Registration costs $5 per aircraft and is valid for 3 years.
In order to register, one needs:
- email address,
- credit or debit card,
- physical address and mailing address (if different from physical address),
- make and model of the unmanned aircraft.
UAS flown for Recreational Use
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which will be described next, in Section 349, "Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft (49 U.S.C. 44809)" stated:
"a person may operate a small unmanned aircraft without specific certification or operating authority from the Federal Aviation Administration if the operation adheres to all of the following limitations:
(1) The aircraft is flown strictly for recreational purposes.
(2) The aircraft is operated in accordance with or within the programming of a community-based organization’s set of safety guidelines that are developed in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration.
(3) The aircraft is flown within the visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft or a visual observer co-located and in direct communication with the operator.
(4) The aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft.
(5) In Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, the operator obtains prior authorization from the Administrator or designee before operating and
complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.
(6) In Class G airspace, the aircraft is flown from the surface to not more than 400 feet above ground level and complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.
(7) The operator has passed an aeronautical knowledge and safety test described in subsection (g) and maintains proof of test passage to be made available to the Administrator or law enforcement upon request.
(8) The aircraft is registered and marked in accordance with chapter 441 of this title and proof of registration is made available to the Administrator or a designee of the Administrator or law enforcement upon request."
To apply the above regulations, the FAA issues "CERTIFICATE OF WAIVER OR AUTHORIZATION" to authorize the use of drones for recreational purposes according to section 44809.
To register a model aircraft, one needs to be:
- 13 years of age or older (if the owner is less than 13 years of age, a person 13 years of age or older must register the model aircraft);
- a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
In order to register a model aircraft, one needs:
- email address;
- credit or debit card;
- physical address and mailing address (if different from physical address).
In 2019, the FAA issued the Advisory CircularAC 91-57B. This new circular, which was developed after Part 107 regulations were firmly in place, provides even more details on what constitutes safe operations and provides numerous resources to pilots in order to familiarize themselves with the requisite aeronautical knowledge to conduct safe operations. Notably, this document also focuses primarily on “drones” rather than traditional remote controlled model aircraft, signifying a shift in the FAA’s thinking on the subject.