More than 616,000 drones – otherwise known as unmanned aircraft – were registered last year under the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) registration system – which became web-based on Dec. 21. Drones received as Christmas presents may contribute to significant registration numbers in January.
The reason for registration? The FAA wants to make sure that drone owners have some basic aviation knowledge. The rule requiring owners of small unmanned aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms) to register their drones is primarily aimed at the thousands of drone hobbyists who had little or no experience with the U.S. aviation system.