Are you one of the many people that got a drone for Christmas? Now that the excitement has passed, it's important to know exactly how to use your new drone and what rules to follow.
The most important rules to know come from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA is a federal agency that is responsible for the safety of civilian aviation, and they help regulate commercial airlines and hobby drones alike. They are a part of the nation's Department of Transportation. They oversee many operations in the aviation field in order to keep everyone safe, a crucial responsibility in the post 9/11 era.
Drone users have to follow the rules and regulations set forth by the FAA, and those rules are subject to change at any time. The FAA supplies the public with a list of safety tips as well as requirements to follow when you are flying your drone.
Safety
First things first, you need to register your drone. Registration is very cheap, as it only costs $5, and it lasts for three years. The price may vary, depending on the size and model of the drone.
Drone flying must be done at or below 400 feet above the ground at all times to avoid collisions with manned aircraft. You also must fly your drone where you can see it at all times. There are many safety risks involved if you cannot see where your drone is flying.
Never fly your drone near anything else while you are still learning. That includes people, buildings, natural disasters, and airports. If you are within five miles of an airport or heliport and you want to fly a drone, you must first contact that facility. So safe to say, none of these places are among the best places to fly your drone.
Accidents
As silly as it may sound, accidents do occur from drone flying, and they can be serious. The FAA requires that a drone user report an accident "within 10 days if it results in at least serious injury to any person or any loss of consciousness, or if it causes damage to any property (other than the UAS) in excess of $500 to repair or replace the property (whichever is lower)."
With that being said, accidents can also cause damage to the drone. You are probably wondering about what to do when your drone breaks in an instance like this. Drone services are available at your disposal to fix your drone. Contact a drone service near you, like Fortress UAV, to repair any damage done to your drone during an accident.