Drones And Remote Id: Will We All Have To Buy New Drones In Order To Comply?

I am sure that most readers of InFlight USA are aware that there have been incidents involving drones being flown dangerously close to manned aircraft, colliding with manned aircraft, or being flown over fire-fighting operations, putting fire-fighting aircraft crews at risk.

Although most drone-pilots fly their aircraft responsibly, it only takes one irresponsible act to cause a tragedy.

Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration has finalized a new rule, known as Remote ID, which will require most drones, while in flight, to broadcast their identity (via serial number or a session ID number), speed, location, take-off point, and altitude, as well as the location of the control station (in most cases, this means the location of the person operating the controller).  The idea, of course, is to enable FAA personnel and/or local law enforcement officials to locate the operator of a drone that is suspected of being flown in an unsafe or illegal manner. 

The FAA’s Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) rules apply to all small, unmanned aircraft; not just to the multi-rotor craft that most people think of as “drones.”   Radio-controlled (R/C) model airplanes and helicopters are drones/small, unmanned aircraft in the eyes of the FAA.

Therefore, the new Remote ID requirement may impact the pilots of fixed-wing radio-controlled model aircraft and helicopters.

Any small, unmanned aircraft that is required to be registered will have to comply with the new Remote ID rule.  This begs two questions.  Which small, unmanned aircraft must be registered?  And, how, exactly, are SUAS operators expected to comply with the Remote ID rule?

Small, unmanned aircraft that weigh 0.55 pounds or greater (but not greater than 55 pounds ­– at that point, the aircraft is not a “small, unmanned aircraft” in the eyes of the FAA), and which are flown for recreational purposes must be registered.

All small, unmanned aircraft that are used for commercial purposes, even if they weigh less the 0.55 pounds must be registered. 

In other words; small, unmanned aircraft weighing less than 0.55 pounds and which are being flown for recreational purposes will not have to comply with the Remote ID requirement.  On the other hand, any small, unmanned aircraft being used for commercial purposes will have to comply with the Remote ID rule.

There are three ways in which pilots of small, unmanned aircraft will be able to comply with the new requirement:

1.      Operate a “Standard Remote ID Drone.”  These will be drones/small, unmanned aircraft that are built with the Remote ID transmitting equipment installed at the factory. 

2.     Attach a Remote ID module to the small, unmanned aircraft.  The FAA expects that these modules will cost between $20 and $50.  This method of compliance should ensure that the current generation of drones, as well as scratch-built models will be able to be flown in compliance with the new rule.

In both above cases, Remote ID transmissions will be made via Blue Tooth or WiFi links (not ADS-B), which will be accessible to authorities.  The general public will not be able to obtain the pilot’s personal information but may be able to determine the pilot’s physical location while conducting a flight.  This last point may cause some concern, but let’s face it; people can usually figure out where the drone pilot is located under the current system, anyway, just by looking around.

3.     Fly from an FAA- Recognized Identification Area (FRIA).  Small, unmanned aircraft flying from these areas will not have to be equipped with Remote ID equipment.  However, only community-based organizations and educational institutions will be able to apply to have their flying areas deemed FRIA’s.  This probably means that many local model-aircraft clubs that are affiliated with the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) will be able to operate their flying-fields as FRIA’s. 

Currently, there are no Standard Remote-ID drones or Remote ID modules on the market.  However, SUAS operators will not be expected to comply with the Remote ID rule until September 2023.  Manufacturers will be expected to comply prior to that time, and the compliant aircraft, as well as Remote ID modules will likely be on the market by then.

As for FRIA’s, the FAA will begin taking applications in September 2022.  So, if R/C pilots are wondering if their local flying field will qualify as a FRIA, the answer will not come for quite some time.  This should not cause much anxiety, as models being flown for recreation will either fall below the weight threshold, or they will simply need a Remote ID module in order to be flown in a non-FRIA area.

Overall, the Remote ID requirement does not appear to be that onerous.  Further, we should be grateful that, due to the number of negative comments it received, the FAA scrapped (for now, at least) one idea that was part of the original Notice of Proposed Rule Making:  drones in flight would have been required to transmit their data over an internet connection to a third-party network.  Effectively, this would have meant being allowed to fly only where there is internet access. Flying in remote areas (which I and many others do) would have been severely restricted.

In my opinion, we can all rest a little easier knowing that the Remote ID will not automatically render current drones and small, unmanned aircraft legally unflyable.

*For more information on Remote ID, and other SUAS-related matters, go to the FAA’s website: https://www.faa.gov/uas/

Scott Schwartz is a licensed private pilot, who also holds a Commercial UAS Certificate.  Scott uses his DJI Phantom 4 drone to take landscape photos of California’s desert areas.

Check out his blog: www.elpasomountains.blogspot.com

Register your aircraft using the website https://faadronezone.faa.gov/#/ if it weighs more than 0.55 lbs. (250 grams) and less than 55 lbs. (25 kg). Image courtesy FAA.