Despite limitations on who can operate them and where they can be flown, drones for business and recreational purposes have become more popular.
Airports, military installations, nuclear power plants, some landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty, and sports stadiums are all prohibited from flying during games.
Not everyone abides by the regulations. In a few cases, airport sightings have resulted in flight cancellations.
Some residents of New Jersey have expressed concern over reported sightings of what appear to be drones flying over the state at night in recent weeks, partly because it is unclear who is operating them and why. Stricter regulations to control drones have been demanded by several state and municipal governments.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily banned drone flights over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, and over Pictinny Arsenal Military Base after receiving reports of drone activity last month near Morris County, New Jersey. According to the FAA, federal security partners requested the bans.
Who controls drones?
Congress has enshrined certain requirements in law, and the FAA is in charge of the regulations controlling their use.
Who is in charge of enforcing the rules?
Congress granted select agencies in the Justice and Homeland Security departments the power to combat unmanned aircraft threats in order to safeguard certain installations through the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018.
Congress granted the agencies the authority to identify and destroy unmanned aircraft that they deem harmful, and new drones must be equipped with devices that enable law enforcement to identify the operator.
The law outlines the situations in which counter-drone measures may be employed, including national special security occasions like presidential inaugurations and other sizable crowds.
What qualifications are need to operate a drone?
You must be at least 16 years old, speak English well, pass an aeronautics test, and not have a mental illness that would make it unsafe to operate a small unmanned aircraft system in order to obtain a remote pilot certificate.
Is it legal to fly drones at night?
Yes, although nighttime operations are subject to FAA regulations. The majority of drones are prohibited from flying at night unless they have anti-collision lights that can be seen for at least three miles (4.8 kilometers).
Do drones pose a risk?
Pilots have documented hundreds of near-misses between drones and aircraft, including airline jets, throughout the last ten years. Pilots of airplanes have occasionally had to take evasive measures in order to prevent collisions.
Drones buzzing over a runwaycaused flights to be stoppedat London s Gatwick Airport during the Christmas travel rush in 2018 andagain in May 2023. Fearing that someone might be killed by stray bullets, police rejected the idea of shooting down the drones.
Advances in drone technology have made it harder for law enforcement to find rogue drone operators bigger drones in particular have more range and power.
Will drone regulations become stricter?
Some state and local officials in New Jersey are calling for stronger restrictions because of the recent sightings, and that has the drone industry worried.
Scott Shtofman, director of government affairs at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, said putting more limits on drones could have a chilling effect on a growing economic engine for the United States.
We would definitely oppose anything that is blindly pushing for new regulation of what are right now legal drone operations, he said.
AirSight, a company that sells software against drone threats, says more than 20 states have enacted laws against privacy invasion by drones, including Peeping Toms.
Will Austin, president of Warren County Community College in New Jersey, and founder of its drone program, says it s up to users to reduce public concern about the machines. He said operators must explain why they are flying when confronted by people worried about privacy or safety.
It s a brand new technology that s not really understood real well, so it will raise fear and anxiety in a lot of people, Austin said. We want to be good professional aviators and alleviate that.
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Associated Press reporter Rebecca Santana in Washington, D.C., contributed.
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