SALT LAKE CITY — The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring that all unmanned aircraft and drones in a certain weight class must be registered with the FAA by February 19, and the Salt Lake City International Airport has posted guidelines about restricted areas around airports in northern Utah.
According to FAA regulations effective December 21, all unmanned aircraft that weigh between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds must be registered with the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft System registry before the drone can be flown outdoors, and those who do not register may face criminal civil liabilities.
The FAA notes that owners who register must be at least 13 years old, or they must have someone meeting the age requirement register on their behalf. Those who register must also be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
For more information about the regulation and the registration process, which costs $5 and is web-based, click here. The FAA states that those who register prior to midnight EST on January 20 will have their $5 registration fee refunded.
Salt Lake City International Airport has posted guidelines on flying drones in the proximity of it and other Utah airports.
The notice states, “The FAA Salt Lake City Air Traffic Control Tower will not allow a drone to be flown within a three-mile radius of its facility”, and for other airports that don’t have air traffic control towers, that ban on drones extends to a five-mile radius around those airports.
The notice indicates several areas that fall in the restricted zones include the Utah State Capitol, Utah State Offices, West High School, Vivint Arena and Jordan Landing. Maps of all restricted areas are available here.
The notice also provides details on how owners can fly drones within those restricted zones after providing notification to the relevant authorities:
Owners who plan to fly drones within a three- to-five mile radius of Salt Lake City International, or five-mile radius of South Valley or Tooele Regional airports, must contact the Salt Lake City Department of Airports Operations Division at (801) 556-4082 or Dave.Teggins@slcgov.com and provide the following information at least 24 hours in advance of operation:
- Registration information for the device
- Type of device
- Time, date and duration of flight
- Location (GPS coordinates) and altitude of operation
