External FAA registration markings...

[JDLightnin']

OK, so I've spent several hours the last couple of days trying to make heads or tails of all this and what it means to the average "weekend warrior hobbyist ". Personally I build and fly 450 and 500 semi-scale helicopters (back yard flyer), there is NO "Local" club or group that logistically works for my life style and schedule. I honestly don't think that I ever fly over 100' much less 400', I fly safely & responsibly so what I don't understand is how this in any way could possibly need to be regulated by anyone in anyway much less by my Uncle Sam! Just one man's humble opinion.

[F106DeltaDart]

I guess I've been under my rock for too long! What happened to: Public Law 112-95 Section 336 ?

It was repealed last year. The new section covering RC is Section 349: https://uavcoach.com/reauthorization-hobbyists/

[JDLightnin']

I guess I've been under my rock for too long! What happened to: Public Law 112-95 Section 336 ?

[rifleman_btx]

Yeah criminals are criminals for a reason, disregard of the law.

[Grossman56]

Hmm, serial number on a firing pin, serialization of Pharmaceutical boxes and now this. Not one of these is going to make one iota of a difference. They are called criminals because why ??
Because they don't follow the law. As a matter of interest, is any Wally World-like store obligated to inform drone purchasers that they must register it with the FAA and display the FAA number? I doubt it.

Grossman56

[rifleman_btx]

Bad guys aren't going to mark their aircraft let alone pay any attention to laws or rules and that goes for normal idiots that just think they can do whatever they want also. So who pays? Guess who!!

Exactly brother!

[Elbee]

I own several quads of differing sizes and prices, why I am unsure. Don't really like flying those here in the windy Midwest. There should, of course, be a differentiation between Fixed Wing requirements and Quads even to the FAA if for no other reason than accessibility to airspace and use. The responsibility levels are worlds apart, IMHO, as any Delta Hotel can drive a Quad and virtually anywhere and the costs are certainly minimal with respect to purchase and maintenance or in most cases loss. It is baffling to this guy why that distinction is foreign to those who are debating this issue. Excuse me if I go and make myself a cocktail and be P-Od for an hour. Best, LB

[boomer108]

Bad guys aren't going to mark their aircraft let alone pay any attention to laws or rules and that goes for normal idiots that just think they can do whatever they want also. So who pays? Guess who!!

[rifleman_btx]

Yeah thanks to the dumbing down the sport where idiots can fly how they want instead of how they should. Espcially these idiots who think its cool to break laws just to get attention. People who do that should get an automatic death penalty. As they are too worthless to exist.

[rpellicciotti]

Sad day for the scale community.

Mike

Yes, it is a sad day. Nearly 100 years of model flying with no problems until the quad rotors came. That said, the new rule just requires the number to be visible without disassembly of the model. So, on a scale airplane it could be in a wheel well, flap cove or some other place where it doesn't show normally. Of course the chance of a bad guy, using a model of any kind for bad purposes, putting a number on his model is nil. As a matter of fact, if I was a bad guy, I just visit the local model field, copy down a few numbers off of some quads and put those numbers on mine.

It is very important that everyone who is against this rule, file a comment on it to that effect. If you just sit back and wait for AMA to do something, you are likely to be disappointed. I have some experience with this involving full scale aviation and the FAA. I have testified at public hearings the FAA held in D.C.. I can tell you that when they get a letter from AMA they count that as 1 response. It doesn't matter that AMA has thousands of members. Every letter they get from an individual is counted however.

[MikeT]

Sad day for the scale community.

Mike

[EDFjetpilot]

As of now, we know the FAA has not mandated a specific size, font, color, etc for these markings. That being said, if and when they determine who and how compliance with these markings will be determined, I expect if those compliance officers have a hard time locating and reading these markings, then the FAA will mandate the size, font, color...and I expect it will be something most of us will not care for.

Thus my recommendation is to be reasonable in how you mark your aircraft. Me personally, I'll be using 1/8 inch characters contrasting the color of the aircraft and locate it center bottom of the fuse where I won't see it while on the ground and it'll be too small to see in the air.

Just a few thoughts from a guy who used to represent USAF interests in FAA rule making.

;)

Sean

[wolpertinger]

I was thinking the same thing but printing in the same color as the plane.....

[Beeg]

I printed a bunch of my FAA number in 1/64 inch tall characters.

I can read them if I look really close.

And I thought mine where small at about 3/16th! ;)

[fhhuber]

I printed a bunch of my FAA number in 1/64 inch tall characters.

I can read them if I look really close.

[Beeg]

From what I can read, so far there isn't a size requirement other than it must be able to read it upon close inspection.

[Beeg]

Time to add your comments.
FAA Mandating Exterior Registration Numbers on Drones


Effective for flights starting after February 25, owners of small drones will have to begin displaying their FAA registration numbers on an outside surface of their aircraft, the agency announced today. When the FAA first required registration of small drones in 2015, it mandated that the registration marking could be placed in an enclosed compartment, such as a battery case, if it could be accessed without the use of tools.

Subsequently, law enforcement officials and the FAA’s interagency security partners have expressed concerns about the risk a concealed explosive device might pose to first responders upon opening a compartment to find a drone’s registration number. The agency believes the new requirement will “enhance safety and security by allowing a person to view the unique identifier directly, without handling the drone.”

The FAA has issued this requirement as an interim final rule with comments due by March 15. The agency said it “will then review any submissions to determine if the provisions of the final rule should be changed.”

The comment period for these proposals ends April 15.

------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 48
[Docket No. FAA–2018–1084, Amdt. No. 48–
2] RIN 2120–AL32
External Marking Requirement for Small Unmanned Aircraft
AGENCY
:
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION
:
Interim final rule.
SUMMARY
:
This interim final rule
requires small unmanned aircraft
owners to display the unique identifier
assigned by the FAA upon completion
of the registration process (registration
number) on an external surface of the
aircraft. Small unmanned aircraft
owners are no longer permitted to
enclose the FAA-issued registration
number in a compartment.
DATES
:
This rule is effective February
25, 2019.
Comments must be received on or
before March 15, 2019.
ADDRESSES
:
Send comments identified
by docket number FAA–2018–1084
using any of the following methods:
•
Federal eRulemaking Portal:
Go to

http://www.regulations.gov

and follow the online instructions for sending your
comments electronically.
•
Mail:
Send comments to Docket
Operations, M–30; U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W12–140, West
Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC
20590–0001.
•
Hand Delivery or Courier:
Take comments to Docket Operations in
Room W12–140 of the West Building
Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
•
Fax:
Fax comments to Docket
Operations at 202–493–2251.
Privacy:
In accordance with 5 U.S.C.
553(c), DOT solicits comments from the
public to better inform its rulemaking
process. DOT posts these comments,
without edit, including any personal
information the commenter provides, to
http://www.regulations.gov,
as described in the system of records
notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can
be reviewed at http://www.dot.gov/
privacy.
Docket:
Background documents or
comments received may be read at

http://www.regulations.gov

at any time.
Follow the online instructions for
accessing the docket or go to the Docket
Operations in Room W12–140 of the
West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington,
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
Natalie Wilkowske, Aircraft Registration
Branch, Civil Aviation Registry, Flight
Standards Service, Registry Bldg., Room
118, 6425 S Denning Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73169–6937;
telephone 1–844–FLY–MYUA;
email UAS-ExternalMarking@faa.gov

More to read----
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 48 [Docket No. FAA–2018–1084, Amdt. No. 48–2] RIN 2120–AL32
External Marking Requirement for Small Unmanned Aircraft
AGENCY
:
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION
:
Interim final rule.
SUMMARY
:
This interim final rule
requires small unmanned aircraft
owners to display the unique identifier
assigned by the FAA upon completion
of the registration process (registration
number) on an external surface of the
aircraft. Small unmanned aircraft
owners are no longer permitted to
enclose the FAA-issued registration
number in a compartment.
DATES
:
This rule is effective February 25, 2019.
Comments must be received on or before March 15, 2019.

ADDRESSES
:
Send comments identified
by docket number FAA–2018–1084
using any of the following methods:
•
Federal eRulemaking Portal:
Go to

http://www.regulations.gov

and follow the online instructions for sending your
comments electronically.
•
Mail:
Send comments to Docket
Operations, M–30; U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W12–140, West
Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC
20590–0001.
•
Hand Delivery or Courier:
Take
comments to Docket Operations in
Room W12–140 of the West Building
Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
•
Fax:
Fax comments to Docket
Operations at 202–493–2251.
Privacy:
In accordance with 5 U.S.C.
553(c), DOT solicits comments from the
public to better inform its rulemaking
process. DOT posts these comments,
without edit, including any personal
information the commenter provides, to
http://www.regulations.gov,
as
described in the system of records
notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can
be reviewed at

http://www.dot.gov/

privacy.
Docket:
Background documents or
comments received may be read at

http://www.regulations.gov

at any time.
Follow the online instructions for
accessing the docket or go to the Docket
Operations in Room W12–140 of the
West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington,
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
Natalie Wilkowske, Aircraft Registration
Branch, Civil Aviation Registry, Flight
Standards Service, Registry Bldg., Room
118, 6425 S Denning Ave., Oklahoma
City, OK 73169–6937; telephone 1–844–
FLY–MYUA; email
UAS-
ExternalMarking@faa.gov

More to read---- Download pdf for FAA document.