If there are new FAA rules regarding unmanned aerial vehicle operations in the US, drones will be less of a niche hobby and more integrated into everyday life. Of course, the devil is in the details, and what the Federal Aviation Administration apparently gives with one hand takes it away with the other.
The rule changes, announced on December 28, are referred to as’ advanc[ing] safety and innovation ”of the United States drone industry. The exciting part, and the aspect that has attracted the most attention from lead writers, is the relaxation of rules against night activities and activities above people and moving vehicles. Since 2016, it has been in violation of FAA regulations to drive drones of less than 25 kg at night or over people without remission. This rule can be seen as stifling innovations in drone delivery, as any useful delivery service is likely to have to fly over inhabited areas and roads and is likely to do so at night. The new rules allow these operations without remission for four categories of drones, classified according to how much damage they would inflict if they lost control and hit someone. The rules also define the inspection and certification regime for both aircraft and pilots, as well as stipulating that operators must have their certificate and ID on their person while flying.
Even if it looks like good news, the reverse side of the coin may be less shiny. The rule changes also set the requirement for ‘Remote ID’ (PDF link), which is said to be an important step towards full integration of drones into the national airspace system. ‘Certain drones will be required to carry a system that sends identification messages directly from the aircraft, including data such as the serial number, location and speed of the drone, as well as the location of the operator. The rules speculate that this is likely to be done via WiFi or Bluetooth and that it should be received with personal wireless devices. The exact technical implementation of these rules is neglected as an exercise to manufacturers, who from the entry into force of the rules in January have 30 months to design systems, submit them for certification and have them built in their aircraft. Drone operators have an extra year to start using the Remote ID drones.
To the drone community, these rule changes look like a mixed bag. To be honest, it is not exactly unexpected that drones will be so radio-tagged, and the delivery time that the FAA allows for compliance with Remote ID seems generous. The ability to operate in riskier environments will undoubtedly be welcomed by commercial drone operators. So who knows – maybe the rules will do what they say, and that stimulates some innovation in the industry. If that’s the case, it can only make the whole thing positive.