In Our View: Drone Rules Grounded

With advancements in affordability, availability and the number of cool things they can do, drones are quickly outpacing the rules governing their use.

Maybe that’s because the rules are scant. Maybe it’s because a drone — technically known as a small unmanned aircraft system — now can be purchased for as little as $50 or $60, complete with camera. Or maybe it’s because the proliferation of drones for personal use has become, at best, a nuisance, and at worst, a danger for real airplanes. Consider data released recently by the Federal Aviation Administration. According to the FAA, from June 1 through Nov. 19, passenger airliners and other aircraft reported 25 near-collisions with small drones across the United States. One of those was near Portland International Airport, where the pilot of a Piper Archer II reported a small red drone passing within 100 feet of his plane at an altitude of 3,000 feet.

The danger of a small unmanned aircraft’s being near a large manned aircraft should be obvious. Having a drone clip the propeller of a plane or collide with the windshield or get sucked into a jet engine could have disastrous results. All of which led Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday to urge the aviation administration to fast-track regulations that have been in the works for years. “We don’t want to dictate the rules,” Schumer said. “We’re happy to leave it up to the experts. We want them released and enforced. Even those who use the drones want rules so they know what’s OK and what’s not OK.”

That doesn’t sound like too much to ask, but federal administrators have been slow to act. Congress has mandated a deadline of September 2015 for rules regarding the personal use of drones, but that deadline has quickly become antiquated. Guidelines, which have been held up by bureaucratic inertia, should become a priority.

For now, the commercial use of drones is prohibited, although Amazon and other companies have expressed interest in their potential as delivery systems. Meanwhile, personal use of drones is recommended only for flights no higher than 400 feet and not within 5 miles of a commercial airport. As data from the FAA demonstrate, those who fly unmanned aircraft as a hobby don’t always pay attention to the recommendations.

With that, the issue of drones brings to the forefront questions about privacy and personal freedom. While a strict interpretation of constitutional freedom might determine that people can fly drones wherever they like, provided they do no harm to others, Schumer and others point out the privacy issues involved: “Drone rules will protect our privacy so drones won’t be hovering out our bedroom window or following us in our car,” Schumer said. He neglected to mention the potential for spying on neighbors in their backyard or for government agencies’ tracking people suspected of criminal activity. “I’m here to say, no matter what the excuse is, we need drone rules on the books and we need them fast,” he added.

The burgeoning drone industry has quickly demonstrated numerous beneficial uses. Drones have been employed in monitoring crops, in assisting public safety, and in news gathering, and the commercial possibilities far outweigh the fun and games of hobbyists. As Forbes recently reported, there is a Washington, D.C., drone lobby backed by Google and Amazon, and the U.S. defense and aerospace industries are deeply invested in the technology.

With well-heeled power brokers involved, the need for proactive regulation of drone use has taken flight.