Be warned: new legislation with regard to the use of drones may be passed soon and your new hobby may just be the next source of your headache. Rep. John Huffman and other Oregon lawmakers are now working on laws that would limit the use of recreational drones.
This piece of discouraging news comes smack in the middle of enticing Black Friday drone deals. Of course, the legislation isn't just for the Black Friday sale, but if you're thinking of purchasing one for personal use or as a holiday gift soon, you have to be aware of the potential setbacks if you want to stay on the right side of the law.
The new regulations have something to do with the growing popularity of drones and the safety concerns that arise in case a malfunction happens or when drones are used irresponsibly.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation teamed up in October and submitted their recommendations for the legislation on Nov. 21. The limitations have not been fully outlined but they will be sure to rule out flying drones near airports and wildfires that may cause aircraft accidents and hinder efforts to put out fires. You can thank the drone owners who have been doing that without thinking of the dangers it presents.
"The [FAA] has gotten roughly 100 notifications from pilots this last year - from manned aircraft - that they have viewed or witnessed drones as they've been flying," Huffman said. Hobbyists have also been seen maneuvering their camera-mounted drones over wildfires, and such actions have caused delays in providing the necessary air support.
In one incident, the drones directly interfered with the efforts of the fire department during a wildfire in Southern California. Because the drones were taking up the airspace, the firefighters were not able to fly their own air tankers to dump flame retardants on the affected areas.
The new regulations that will be put in place may not affect responsible drone pilots but it will also make sure that anyone who owns a drone weighing over 250 grams (0.55 pounds) must register their drones so that they can be held responsible for any mishap that it gets involved in. Pilots must be at least 13 years old. The registration is free but if you don't register and your drone figures in a mishap, that is an automatic fine of at least $25,000.
This sounds reasonable enough for now, but we still have to wait until the recommendations are reviewed and new ones are added before we figure out the possible implications the new laws will have on recreational drone use.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
