The number of drone owners in U.S. expected to almost triple by 2020.
The skies are about to get crowded with drones.
Sales of unmanned aircraft systems are expected to reach 2.5 million this year and jump to 7 million in 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a recently released report.
But don’t expect to see them flying around Washington, D.C. Drones are prohibited from flying within 15 miles of the nation’s capital, a move that was designed to protect the city and its numerous federal government centers from terrorist and other attacks.
The number of unmanned aircraft systems owned by hobbyists is expected to increase from 1.9 million in 2016 to 4.3 million in 2020. Commercial drones, while fewer in number, are expected to grow at an even faster rate, from 600,000 this year to 2.7 million in 2020.
“Unmanned aircraft systems will be the most dynamic growth sector within aviation,” the agency said in its report, FAA Aerospace Forecast.
To promote the safe and responsible use of unmanned aircraft, the FAA has partnered with several aviation associations to launch an educational campaign called “Know Before You Fly.” It also introduced the B4UFLY app that provides drone users with airspace requirements and restrictions needed before takeoff.
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In December, in order to better track drone use, the agency issued a new rule requiring all unmanned aircraft systems weighing between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds to be registered online. As of mid-March, more than 408,000 drones were registered.
Residents of Washington, D.C., are unlikely to see many of these drones because of the area’s no-fly zone. The government banned flights in and around Washington after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and later amended it to include both unmanned and manned aircraft.
Despite the huge potential of drones – Amazon is working to have drones deliver orders to people’s front doors – they present certain risks as well. Drones have been involved in several security incidents nationwide, creating challenges for the FAA and the aviation community. They have been seen flying too close to airports and power plants, and one even crashed on the White House lawn.
To add greater protections, the FAA is publishing its final regulations about unmanned aircraft use within the next few months.
