It’s been a long time coming, but over the weekend the FAA released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the operation and certification of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) weighing less than 55 pounds.
The NPRM suggests that people flying drones would be referred to as “operators” and not pilots. These operators would have to be 17 years of age or older, pass a knowledge exam and obtain an FAA UAS operator certificate. The operator would have to determine that the UAS is fit for flight prior to launching. However, at this stage, neither aircraft certification nor a pilot certificate or medical certificate would be required.
