The Irish Aviation Authority has recently announced that starting on December 21 of this year, all drones that weigh more than 1 kilogram must be registered in a national database. In Ireland, drones are commonly referred to as Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems.
The news comes just ahead of the holiday season, in which many people are expecting the number of drones to increase. Recreational drones are expected to be a hot ticket item this year, as they will certainly be a popular present throughout the world. A continuously increasing number of individuals are participating in the hobby of recreational drone operations.
The announcement was made by the director of safety regulation for the Irish Aviation Authority Ralph James. He made the critical announcement at the Drones Data X Conference in County Mayo of Ireland.
In the past, the Irish Aviation Authority had already laid out guidelines for local operators of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems. Next month, the Irish Aviation Authority will add details on how fliers can register their drones.
Additionally, licensed drone owners in Ireland will be provided with an app that informs them about where they are permitted to fly their drones and where drone operations are forbidden.
Currently, there are estimated to be a total of 5,000 drones in Ireland. Many are reporting that drones are the number one requested Christmas present this year, so this number will undoubtedly increase. It could even multiply several times over, as this looks to be the season of the drone.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration announced that a similar registration scheme would soon be implemented in order to better track operators of drones. Many drone fliers have been known to operate their devices above permitted altitudes, and others have gone into restricted zones or entered into airspaces too close to airports.
A committee of drone representatives in the United States will meet in the near future to better determine laws regarding the usage of recreational drones. The committee will include representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Google X, the Association of Airline Pilots and Amazon Prime Air.
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