Private owners of small unmanned aerial systems are required to begin registering the drones with the government, according to new Federal Aviation Administration rules released on Dec. 14.
The agency has been working double-time to get the registration process set up before an expected onslaught of what FAA Administrator Michael Huerta has said could be more than half a million of the aircraft purchased for the holidays.
FAA officials said they needed to move quickly because of increasing reports in 2015 of drones interfering with civilian aviation and other airborne activity, including drones operating near airports, at high altitudes or in the vicinity of emergency response aircraft.
