Task force for recreational drone registration convenes

A task force charged with recommending rules for registering recreational drones or unmanned aerial vehicles convenes this Tuesday.

The group composed of more than 20 people will be holding meetings until November 5.

It will take up public comments on November 6, before providing the Federal Aviation Administration with recommendations on November 20.

Recommendations expected from the task force revolve around the types of recreational drones that have to be registered as well as the registration process and cost.

Among members of the task force are manufacturers 3D Robotics, DJI, and Parrot that will provide technical details as well as information on drone capabilities.

The Academy of Model Aeronautics and the Small UAV Coalition are expected to give inputs about rules, arrangements, and communities in place.

Major retailers Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and two divisions of Amazon are also represented in the task force. They will share their expertise on the registration process, as there is a possibility recreational drones will be registered at the point of sale.

All three are considering using drones to deliver products to customers, so it is likely commercial drones will also be discussed during the meetings.

Two individuals are heading the task force. One of them is Dave Vos of Google's think tank, GoogleX, which is also interested in using commercial drones.

The group will receive expert support from such federal agencies as the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and NASA.

Registration rules could be in place by Christmas, according to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

"Given the urgency of this issue, the DOT and FAA will move expeditiously to consider the Task Force's recommendations," said a statement from the FAA.

As the task force buckles down to work, the Consumer Electronics Association has this to say: "New federal government requirements for reporting of product ownership must be balanced against factors including convenience, data integrity, and privacy."