FAA Implements New Recreational Drone Rules

The FAA is implementing for recreational drone fliers new restrictions prescribed by Congress in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, the agency announced. The major change is that recreational fliers now must obtain prior authorization from the FAA, rather than local air traffic control facilities, before flying in controlled airspace around airports and must comply with all airspace restrictions no matter where they are flying.

Under the new procedures, the FAA is granting temporary authorizations to fly in specified fixed sites in controlled airspace nationwide. The sites are listed online, regularly updated, and depicted as blue dots on unmanned aircraft systems facilities maps, which also indicate safe maximum altitudes for each location.

The FAA said that in the future recreational fliers will be able to participate in its Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) currently available to commercial operators under the Part 107 rules.

Recreational fliers must still observe the 400-foot agl ceiling limitation and must display their registration numbers on a visible surface of their aircraft. Eventually, they will be required to pass an aeronautical knowledge test.