Toy Association Participates in Drone Regulatory Roundtable

April 29, 2019 | The Toy Association last week participated in a roundtable stakeholder meeting on recreational drones which covered new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restrictions on hobbyist and recreation drone users, including the requirement that operators must pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test and have proof of passage available to law enforcement officials upon request.

Prior to the meeting, the FAA indicated that the test should be an hour long and include about 30 questions.  During the discussion, The Toy Association strongly opposed this suggestion, instead recommending that operators of drones weighing less than 250g be exempt from the testing requirement, and that any test should be short in length and cover the necessary, basic information only, to ensure drones are used safely.

The roundtable included representatives of the FAA, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the Consumer Technology Association, educators, the Alliance of Drone Innovation, and other stakeholders.

“Our meeting with the FAA and other interested parties was an important part of The Toy Association’s efforts to ensure that toy industry concerns regarding the regulation of small, recreational drones are heard by lawmakers,” said Rebecca Mond, vice president of federal government affairs at The Toy Association. “We thank AMA and the FAA for inviting us to participate and we are confident that by working together we can come to an agreement on the best approach that takes risk into account while keeping the national air space safe.”

The Toy Association continues to engage with the FAA on this issue and will keep members apprised of developments.