Amazon Wins: the Senate FAA Reauthorization Bill and Drones - DRONELIFE
" ... Recreational drone operators may not have fared as well in the new Senate bill. As requested by the Airline Pilots Association – and perhaps as a conciliatory gesture to them – the new bill indicates that drone registration may now include an online test. The bill states that the FAA may not impose new rules on model aircraft flown for recreation provided that the operator complies with the known provisions about safety, altitude restrictions, and distance from airports; but adds the following: “the operator has passed an aeronautical knowledge and safety test administered by the Federal Aviation Administration online for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems …and maintains proof of test passage to be made available to the Administrator or law enforcement upon request.” The bill expands upon this idea, calling for a committee to establish an appropriate online test and stating that an operator may not fly unless the test has been passed or the pilot is otherwise certified by the FAA.
The test is designed to ensure that recreational operators understand the basic “know before you fly” safety requirements, which would seem to make sense. But as registration numbers compared with sales numbers show that many operators have already chosen not to register, another layer of administration would seem to make adoption of the registration program even less likely. ... "
" ... Recreational drone operators may not have fared as well in the new Senate bill. As requested by the Airline Pilots Association – and perhaps as a conciliatory gesture to them – the new bill indicates that drone registration may now include an online test. The bill states that the FAA may not impose new rules on model aircraft flown for recreation provided that the operator complies with the known provisions about safety, altitude restrictions, and distance from airports; but adds the following: “the operator has passed an aeronautical knowledge and safety test administered by the Federal Aviation Administration online for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems …and maintains proof of test passage to be made available to the Administrator or law enforcement upon request.” The bill expands upon this idea, calling for a committee to establish an appropriate online test and stating that an operator may not fly unless the test has been passed or the pilot is otherwise certified by the FAA.
The test is designed to ensure that recreational operators understand the basic “know before you fly” safety requirements, which would seem to make sense. But as registration numbers compared with sales numbers show that many operators have already chosen not to register, another layer of administration would seem to make adoption of the registration program even less likely. ... "
