The FAA is getting nervous about all the tiny drones that will be under the Christmas tree this year, and has launched a government-sponsored drone safety campaign, “Know Before You Fly.”
A short promotional PSA from the campaign advises consumers to fly their drones below 400 feet, keep them in their line of sight, and avoid areas with manned aircraft. They also discourage any budding young entrepreneurs, warning them “Don’t fly for payment or commercial purposes” unless authorized by the FAA. So no hawking your talents to Amazon.
The Know Before You Fly website contains more tips, most of which boil down to “use common sense,” like “Do not fly under the influence of alcohol or drugs” or “Ensure the operating environment is safe and that the operator is competent and proficient.”
Drones have been dubbed the must-have gift of 2014—and they’ve been everywhere in this year. TGI Fridays deployed them as mistletoe-bearing kiss cams in their restaurants, while Martha Stewart wrote an ode to her drone in Time.
“This is an issue of growing concern,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta told the New York Times. “The price of unmanned aircraft has come down and this newer and more powerful technology is more affordable to more people, yet many are not familiar with the rules of flying.”
Reflecting that concern, as of last month the government was considering requiring all drone operators to obtain a pilots license—even for the remote-control cameras that weigh only a few pounds. The licensing would cost $10,000 and involve hundreds of hours learning to operate manned aircraft.
The holiday-timed safety campaign also has several drone trade groups on board: the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the Small UAV Coalition, as well as the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
The groups will be passing out pamphlets on safety and including more safety tips in drone packaging in the future.
You can watch the FAA’s safety video below:
