FAA Unmanned Aircraft Registration
Registered: August 10, 2016
Expired: December 12, 2020 (Extended from August 10, 2019)
Purpose: Legal authorization to operate small unmanned aircraft in compliance with FAA regulations.
Back in 2016, I registered with the FAA to operate unmanned aircraft (drones) when hobby and semi-professional drone use was still relatively new, and regulations were rapidly evolving. My registration (issued August 10, 2016, and extended through December 12, 2020) allowed me to legally and responsibly fly within U.S. guidelines, emphasizing safety, accountability, and respect for airspace rules. It represents both my interest in technology and my commitment to doing things the right way when exploring new tools and possibilities.
Back then, quadcopters were all the rage. Everyone wanted to fly them – but they were expensive. I’d love to drop $3k on the nice DJI Phantoms with 4K cameras, solid GPS stabilization, and long battery life, but I didn’t have that kind of money.
I did some research on costs and features and settled on the Syma X5-C1 for $46. It was fairly cheap, cold, flip-upside-down, had removable batteries and a removable 2MP camera, and weighed less than 0.55 pounds with the camera attached. Drones above 0.55 would also have required registration.
Unfortunately, the slightest breeze would hinder my control over it. Even inside my home, the drone couldn’t stay in one place without constant manual adjustments. The battery lasted no more than 15 minutes, and the camera quality was horrible.
The FAA clamped down on drones when it came to airports – especially Dulles airport and the DC area. Being about five miles from the airport, I couldn’t fly my drone outside without calling the Dulles tower for permission, so I was restricted to just flying it in my condo. Today, the blanket 5-mile radius is a thing of the past, and you can use LAANC to request authorization.
I brought my drone to Dad’s house once, but it was a bit too windy, and he ended up fetching it out of a tree with a cherry picker. By the time I moved to Mississippi, too much was going on in the house that flying the drone never crossed my mind. After my relationship broke off, I flew the drone once.
In 2018, the FAA updated its rules and reset the clock on my three-year registration.
By the time my registration expired in 2020, we were in the full swing of the pandemic, and I had moved a few years earlier into a house about 2.5 miles from a regional airport, from which a paraglider would sometimes come and dip near the field across the street from my home. My hobbies with flying were more focused on a cockpit simulator in my basement and learning about Cessna 170 flight controls.
