The FAA has announced a mandatory registration system for small unmanned aircraft pilots ages 13 and over. Adding a layer of beauracracy to a branch of aviation that has had 2 fatalities since 2003.
The proposed registration forces the pilot to pay a fee and add their name and home address to a searchable database before flying. If the pilot does not register they face civil and criminal penalties up to a $250000 fine and 3 years in jail.
This system will do nothing to prevent the people who have flown near airports or other restricted areas since there is no way of tracking model aircraft to their source and serve to kill a wonderful hobby.