The FAA released its ruling on Monday, December 28th, on Remote Identification (Remote ID) for drones and also a final rule on flights at night and over people. Their proposal was originally published in December 2019 and it appears to have gone through some changes, including removing the requirement that all drones essentially be connected to the Internet whenever they’re in the air. While it is a long and complex document, an Executive Summary of the Final Rule provided by the FAA does break down the basics of how the system will work and the requirements for drone pilots throughout the USA.
The most controversial part of the FAA’s proposal was that of the Drone ID system. In principle, it’s a great idea, backed by most responsible drone pilots as well as manufacturers like DJI. But DJI (and just about everybody else) wasn’t happy with the FAA wanted to implement it, putting out a call-to-action response to get them to rethink their course.
Essentially, the FAA wanted all drones to be connected to the Internet while airborne, so they could be tracked in realtime. As DJI put it… Well, the FAA does seem to have gone back on their initial idea for something a little more reasonable and there are now three ways through which pilots can comply with the new Remote ID rules (basically, a digital “license plate” for drones, much as you have with your car). It is important to note that this does not apply to drones weighing less than 0.55lb (250g) unless subject to additional registration (like Part 107 for commercial use). So, that Mavic Mini 2 you just got for Christmas is totally ok to fly without Remote ID (as long as you’re not commercial). But if you’re flying anything from a Mavic Air on up, you’re going to need to deal with Remote ID, whether you’re commercial or not, or fly in zones designated as an FRIA. You can read the complete Executive Summary here. [via DPReview]
