New FAA regulations for Unmanned Drones Published April 29, 2016 By Senior Airman Dakota Bergl 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- New Federal Aviation Administration regulations now require all unmanned aircraft systems, commonly called drones, between .55 lbs. and 55 lbs. to be registered before they fly.The regulations were instituted due to an increase in reports of near misses with drones from military and civilian pilots and are designed to help prevent injury or loss of life caused by a midair collision between a manned aircraft and a UAS.“What we are worried about is someone flying one of these drones where it might get into our flight path,” said Master Sgt. Scott Ward, a flight safety official with the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron. “Our air traffic controllers will have to be aware of that possibility just like they are of birds in the area.”Ward also said that he would encourage hobbyists to go to the FAA’s UAS website, http://www.faa.gov/uas/, or to download the FAA B4UFLY app. The app has the same helpful information as the website in addition to a GPS-based planning tool that allows users to ensure they will not be operating their UAS in a restricted or special flight area.“The biggest thing is awareness and I think that the best thing that drone pilots can do is look at the FAA website or the app,” said Ward. “It’s just a matter of being smart and knowing that if you aren’t careful it can create problems for manned aircraft.”The FAA is encouraging individuals flying a drone for hobby or recreation to follow these basic safety guidelines: • Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles• Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times• Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations• Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying• Don't fly near people or stadiums• Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs.• Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft.“We strive to stay out in front of the latest technology and do our best to minimize the dangers around the airfield,” said Col. Doug Schwartz, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander. “The guidance and directives being introduced by the FAA are all steps in the right direction."Ward said that anyone who intends to fly a UAS around Grissom and has questions can contact the flight safety office at 765-688-4796 for direction.“As long as you follow the FAA guidelines the chance of a collision should be very small,” said Ward. “If you do want to reach out to the base -- just to be safe -- the flight safety office would be the people to talk to, we can help get questions answered and make sure that there won’t be any issues.”Ward said that he doubts anyone would use a UAS with malicious intent; however, if any base personnel see suspicious drone activity over the base they should report the incident to security forces.UAS registration can be done online at https://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/ and costs $5. The FAA states the registration site is designed to be simple and easy to use for every hobbyist. After completing registration, owners will receive a personal registration number which must be written on each UAS they plan to fly.Grissom is home to the 434th ARW, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, but also three Army Reserve units and a Marine Corps Reserve communications detachment.Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
