Cooperative Living January 2017 - 28

SafetySense
Responsible Use of Drones
S
mall, unmanned aircraft systems,
known as " drones, " have been
rapidly gaining in popularity. The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
estimates that more than 1 million were
sold during last year's holiday season.
While a majority of drones are
considered toys, the use of drones for
business purposes has skyrocketed.
Drones are used to film movies, aid in
surveillance, help emergency personnel
and electric line right-of-way. Real estate
agents use drones to take aerial photos of
their listings. Drones can also take over
tedious tasks for farmers such as walking
rows of crops to check for weeds, bugs or
other causes of distress.
Under current regulations, drones may
be operated for hobby and recreational
purposes under the FAA's Special Rule
for Model Aircraft, which includes a
community-based set of safety guidelines
that are administered through a nationwide
community-based organization such as the
Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).
Despite the number of benefits - and
hours of fun - that drones can provide,
their use can also present some serious
safety and security concerns. Because the
presence of drones is likely to increase in
coming years, keep these safety tips in
mind whenever you fly a drone or are
involved with one's use:
* Read up first: The website
www.knowbeforeyoufly.org contains
helpful information for all categories of
drone users, including answers to
frequently asked questions.
* Don't fly near electric-distribution
lines & equipment: Flying a drone too
close to a power line is a major safety
hazard. If you accidentally lose control
of the drone or misjudge distance, you
could hit a power line and leave
hundreds of people without electricity.
Even worse, it could cause a downed
line, which is extremely hazardous.
26 | Cooperative Living | January 2017
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Also keep drones well away from any
substations or electric-generation
facilities.
* Keep drones in your line of sight: You
should be able to see your drone at all
times while you are flying it. Be aware
of your surroundings and keep control
over where your drone is headed to
avoid running into anything.
* Don't fly in bad weather: Check
the weather conditions before you fly
your drone. Low visibility, high winds
and storms could affect your ability to
control your drone.
* Avoid crowds: Steer clear of crowds
while flying your drone to avoid the
risk of injuring someone.
* Stay away from airports and aircrafts:
The last thing you want to do with your
drone is crash it into a plane. That
could be dangerous for you and anyone
on the aircraft. To be safe, never
fly your drone higher than 400 feet
above the ground, or anywhere
near an airport. 
Source: www.knowbeforeyoufly.org
While a majority of drones are considered toys, the use of drones for business purposes has skyrocketed.
MAKE SURE YOUR
DRONE IS REGISTERED!
The FAA requires all owners of
small unmanned aircraft weighing
between 0.55 and 55 pounds to
register at www.federaldrone
registration.com before taking
to the skies. The owner will
receive a unique identification
number that must be affixed to
any drone operated exclusively
for recreation. Failure to register
an aircraft can result in civil
penalties up to $27,500 and
criminal penalties of up to
$250,000 under 18 U.S.C. 3571
and/or imprisonment up to three
years. Once registered, owners
will be able to renew their
registration or update their
information as circumstances
require (e.g., transfer or sale of
drone to another owner).

http://www.federaldrone http://www.registration.com http://www.knowbeforeyoufly.org http://www.knowbeforeyoufly.org http://www.co-opliving.com

Cooperative Living January 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living January 2017