via Mashable
A pilot's recent spotting of what he called "a drone aircraft" less than 200 feet from his Boeing 777 near John F. Kennedy International Airport has caused quite a stir. But it's also shed a light on how much drones have become part of the public consciousness.
The FBI has described the unidentified aircraft as black in color, less than three feet wide and having four propellers, matching the description of small quadcopters. Five years ago — before drones became part of our common lexicon — the same pilot might have just called it a "remote-controlled airplane."
So then, when makes a drone a drone?
The Federal Aviation Administration is still in the process of formally integrating drone aircraft into the Federal Aviation Regulations, which serve as the rulebook for the skies. Currently, the FAA's definition of UAS (unmanned aircraft system, the newest official term for "drone") is only "unmanned aircraft," which theoretically includes everything from an armed military Reaper drone to a $150 child's toy. But the FAA describes hobbyists' model aircraft in the following way:
"FAA guidance says that model aircraft flights should be kept below 400 feet above ground level (AGL), should be flown a sufficient distance from populated areas and full scale aircraft, and are not for business purposes."
The "business purposes" language is key: to use a pilotless aircraft to make money, you first have to get an FAA certificate. Certificates aren't required for the remote controlled aircraft flights you might encounter at your local park every Saturday, so it's a good place to start separating "drones" from "remote-controlled aircraft." That dividing line is reinforced by last year's FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which says model aircraft must be flown "strictly for recreational purposes."
The act also says model aircraft must weigh 55 pounds or less (with some exceptions). A less-than-three-foot-wide aircraft would almost certainly be lighter than 55 pounds, per the laws of physics.
Clearly, the pilot of whatever aircraft the commercial pilot spotted on approach to JFK is in violation of official and unofficial safety standards — who knows what might have happened to the 777 if the smaller aircraft had gotten sucked into one of its engines. But what was spotted in the New York skies is probably still best defined as a "remote-controlled aircraft," not a "drone" — a word that conjures up images of much larger and fearsome military aircraft. And while the term has been applied to very small aircraft as well, it's typically only in military or law enforcement settings.
Mashable has contacted the FAA for further clarification, and we will update this post with any response. What do you think was spotted in the skies near JFK? How should we define "drone?" Share in the comments.
Image Credit: Mashable composite. Images via AFP Photo/Joel Saget/Files; Flickr, Ebb n Flow
