Who owns the drones? US authorities to keep track

Drone operators in the United States will soon have to register their unmanned aerial systems with the government following a series of near misses at airports and interferences with firefighting efforts.

The process of registering drones will no doubt be a tricky one, and a specific taskforce has been set up to work out how to actually go about this.

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the changes overnight, emphasising the need for drone owners to know the rules.

“Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the US aviation system,” Foxx said.

“It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.”

Though it’s quite easy for authorities to find a drone, it’s a much harder task to work out who actually owns it, and that’s where the registration system will come in.

“When they don’t fly safely, they’ll know there will be consequences,” Foxx said.

Drones come in many shapes and sizes, with many toy-versions are set to appear under Christmas trees.

Foxx did clarify that “low safety risk” drones that include “toys and certain other small UAS” may be exempt from these new rules.

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