ABOVE AND BEYOND There’s good reason to believe that the FAA will clear the way for a “license plate” for drones, leading to relaxed restrictions.
I
BY M. ANNE SWANSON MAGINE A SCENARIO IN WHICH A TV
network’s sports team is covering a surfing competition in Oahu, HI, by flying a drone high above several contenders, some beyond the sight of the drone operator. The competition’s organizers and law enforcers become concerned about who’s operating the drone and their intentions. Is the errant drone operated by a clueless, careless or criminal operator? Fortunately, authorities are able to utilize a database to read a remote identification, or “license plate,” that pinpoints the drone’s origins. And coverage goes on to wow surfing enthusiasts everywhere. So far, scenarios like that one are pipe
12 The Financial Manager • September/October 2020
dreams. But license plates for drones, or “unmanned aircraft systems” (UAS), may start to emerge next year. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials say the agency is on track to issue rules this coming December that will implement a remote identification system for drones. The rules will apply to all UAS weighing more than 0.55 pounds and will affect commercial drone operators, hobbyists and manufacturers. If the regulations are put in place, the new license plates will be liberating for legitimate drone operators. For the last several years, federal security agencies have blocked the FAA’s efforts to adopt rules allowing expanded UAS operations because of the lack of a remote
