U.S. task force expected to recommend drone registry be free: sources

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal task force is expected to recommend a Web-based registry for drone owners that would impose no registration fees, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The 25-member task force has reached no final decisions after three days of meetings this week, the sources said. Discussions are expected to continue via teleconference over the next two weeks before the committee delivers formal recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration by Nov. 20.

Owners of small unmanned aerial vehicles would likely have to sign up on a website or use a smartphone app and put a visible registration number on the drone.

The process would provide a digital alternative to the more onerous paper-based registration process for manned aircraft. Responsibility for registering is expected to fall to the owner rather than the manufacturer or retail vendor, but the task force could recommend no penalties for first-time noncompliance, the sources said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/u-task-force-expected-recommend-drone-registry-free-023851734.html

[BumRushDaShow]

1. It's too late

The genie is out of the bottle. They will be lucky to get a miniscule few "registrations" out of the total devices out there and notably those that belong to local, state, or federal LEO, as well as some corporate farms or warehouses, and maybe some utilities and environmental organizations... and that's it.

[William Seger]

2. I'd register mine -- better than getting fined. (n/t)