Attack of the Drones Published Dec. 18, 2015 80th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- With the holidays upon us, one of the more popular gifts this season are small unmanned aircraft, being sold under many names including drones, quadcopters, remotely piloted aircraft, or model aircraft. The Consumer Electronics Association believes 2015 will be a defining year for the drone, with sales expecting to approach 700,000 for the year. Federal Aviation Administration statistics show a surge in "close call with drone" reports by pilots of manned aircraft: nearly 700 incidents so far this year, roughly triple the total number recorded for all of 2014. The proliferation of drones poses a risk to individuals on the ground and for manned flight operations, especially when new or inexperienced users fly their craft without knowing the base and federal regulations regarding their usage. It is important for base residents and members of the local community to understand Sheppard Air Force Base Instruction 13-204, that states remotely operated aircraft operations are not authorized on or near Sheppard. The airspace around Sheppard Air Force Base, used by the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program is one of the busiest airspaces in the nation. Additionally, the FAA has published the following guidelines for users flying model aircraft: · Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles. · Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times. · Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations. · Don't fly within five miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying. · Don't fly near people or stadiums. · Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs. · Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft - you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft. Furthermore, the FAA recently mandated the requirement to register small unmanned aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approximately 25 kilograms) including payloads such as on-board cameras. While micro-sized systems may be exempt from the registration process, their use is still governed by the guidelines above. For users with vehicles in this weight category, the FAA announced a streamlined and user-friendly web-based aircraft registration process for owners of small-unmanned aircraft. Under this rule, any owner of a small UAS who has previously operated an unmanned aircraft exclusively as a model aircraft prior to December 21, 2015, must register no later than February 19, 2016. Owners of any other UAS purchased for use as a model aircraft after December 21, 2015 must register before the first flight outdoors. Owners may use either the paper-based process or the new streamlined, web-based system. Owners using the new streamlined web-based system must be at least 13 years old to register. Owners may register through a web-based system at www.faa.gov/uas/registration. The normal registration fee is $5, but in an effort to encourage as many people as possible to register quickly, the FAA is waiving this fee for the first 30 days (from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan 20, 2016) www.faa.gov/uas/registration. As you, or your child, unbox that remote aircraft this holiday, remember that taking to the air comes with a great responsibility to maintain the safety of others, both in the air and on the ground. For people anxious to get their new craft airborne, one of the safest methods is to learn from an experienced remote pilot at a local remote control club. Wichita Falls is home to the Wichita Falls Radio Control Club, an organization using the Lake Wichita RC Park as their base of operations. For more information on the club or the RC Park, visit www.wichitafallstx.gov/index.aspx?nid=1455. Editor's note: Luana Shafer contributed to this article based off her "Tommy got a toy drone for Christmas, what's next?" story on www.af.mil.