[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 212 (Friday, November 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51331-51332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-23893]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of Renewed Approval of Information Collection: Small Unmanned 
Aircraft Registration System (sUAS)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 
invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information 
collection. Aircraft registration is necessary to ensure personal 
accountability among all users of the national airspace system. 
Aircraft registration also allows the FAA and law enforcement agencies 
to address non-compliance by providing the means by which to identify 
an aircraft's owner and operator. This collection also permits 
individuals to amend their record in the registration database.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by January 2, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-7396 
using any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and 
follow the online instructions for sending your comments 
electronically.
    Mail: Send comments to the FAA at the following address: Barbara 
Hall, Federal Aviation Administration, ASP-110, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, 
Fort Worth, TX 76177.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Claire Barrett by email at: 
[email protected]; 202-366-8135; Barbara Hall by email at: 
[email protected]; phone: 940-594-5913.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for FAA's performance; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) 
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include 
your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information 
collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-0765.

[[Page 51332]]

    Title: Small Unmanned Aircraft Registration System (sUAS).
    Form Numbers: None.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background: The Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT) 
and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
affirmed that all unmanned aircraft are aircraft. As such, in 
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 44101(a) and as further prescribed in 14 CFR 
part 47, registration is required prior to operation. See 80 FR 63912, 
63913 (October 22, 2015), except for those model aircraft operating 
exclusively in compliance with section 336 of Public Law 112-95. 
Aircraft registration is necessary to ensure personal accountability 
among all users of the national airspace system. Aircraft registration 
also allows the FAA and law enforcement agencies to address non-
compliance by providing the means by which to identify an aircraft's 
owner and operator.
    Subject to certain exceptions discussed below, aircraft must be 
registered prior to operation. See 49 U.S.C. 44101-44103. Upon 
registration, the Administrator must issue a certificate of 
registration to the aircraft owner. See 49 U.S.C. 44103
    Registration, however, does not provide the authority to operate. 
Persons intending to operate a small unmanned aircraft exclusively as 
model aircraft must operate in compliance with section 336 of Public 
Law 112-95, and as discussed below, are not required to register. 
Persons intending to operate their small unmanned aircraft not 
exclusively in compliance with section 336 must operate in accordance 
with part 107 or part 91, in accordance with a waiver issued under part 
107, in accordance with an exemption issued under 14 CFR part 11 
(including those persons operating under an exemption issued pursuant 
to section 333 of Public Law 112-95), or in conjunction with the 
issuance of a special airworthiness certificate, and are required to 
register.
    As a result of the May 19, 2017 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals 
for the District of Columbia Circuit (Taylor v. Huerta), the Small UAS 
Registration and Marking interim final rule was vacated to the extent 
it applies to model aircraft. Model aircraft must meet the definition 
and operational requirements provided in section 336 of the FAA 
Modernization and Reform Act. Owners who are operating exclusively in 
compliance with section 336 who wish to delete their registration and 
receive a refund of the registration fee may do so by requesting 
registration deletion from the FAA, which requires the FAA to collect 
their payment information.
    Respondents: Approximately 1.6 million affected sUAS registrations 
and deregistrations annually. Additionally, the FAA estimates based on 
responses so far (700,000) that approximately 0.5% [3,500] of the 
owners who are registered and are operating in compliance with section 
336 will delete their registrations.
    Frequency: Information is collected on occasion.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 5 minutes per response to 
register, 3 minutes per response de-register, and 2 minutes per 
response to delete registrations.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: About 135,000 hours for registration 
and deregistration, and about 117 hours for registration deletion.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 26, 2017.
Barbara L. Hall,
FAA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Performance, Policy, and 
Records Management Branch, ASP-110.
[FR Doc. 2017-23893 Filed 11-2-17; 8:45 am]
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