Alaska Drone Laws

There are three types of drone laws in Alaska i.e. state drone laws, which are applicable only within Alaska, local drone laws, which are applicable in certain areas, and federal drone laws, which are applicable on the entire country.

Alaska State Drone Laws

These laws are applicable on all the cities, counties, and towns present in the state of Alaska. They fall under the jurisdiction of Alaska Department of Transportation and Alaska State Legislature. Presently, there is only one state drone law in Alaska.

HB 255 // 2014

According to this law, there are various restrictions on law enforcement agencies regarding the usage of unmanned aircraft systems in Alaska. For example, capturing of images and videos with the help of unmanned aircraft system is restricted (1).

Alaska Local Drone Laws

The implementation of these laws is limited to certain counties, cities and towns. Presently, there are two local drone laws in Arizona.

State Code 33.398 – Salmon Fishing

This law is only applicable in the South-eastern area of Alaska. According to this law, the use of unmanned aircraft system for commercial fishing of salmon is strictly prohibited, especially during an open commercial salmon fishing period (2).

11 AAC 20.020

This law is only applicable in the Chugach State Park. It was created by Alaska Department of Natural resources. According to this law, operating an unmanned aircraft system within this state park is strictly prohibited. UAS can only be operated in authorized areas (3).

Federal Drone Laws

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Federal Government are responsible for implementing the federal drone laws in the United States of America. These laws are enforced on the entire country, including Alaska. Depending upon the purpose of the drone operations, federal drone laws can be divided into three main groups.

For recreational drone operators

If a person wishes to fly an unmanned aircraft system as a recreational hobby, then they must obey Federal Aviation Administration’s “Recreational Model Aircraft” laws. Another guide available for drone hobbyists is called the “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018”. Following are some recreational drone laws in the US:

All the unmanned aircrafts systems that weigh more than 0.55 lbs. must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration.
It is strictly prohibited to operate an unmanned aircraft system above a person without their permission.
All recreational drone operations must be conducted within Class G airspace.
A person who wishes to operate their unmanned aircraft system in any airspace other than Class G must obtain a special permit beforehand.
It is mandatory to keep the altitude of your unmanned aircraft system below 400 feet.
It is compulsory for drone operators to constantly maintain visual of their drone to reduce the risk of accidents.

For commercial drone operators

Three main rules must be followed by people who wish to operate unmanned aircraft systems for commercial purposes.

Firstly, it is essential for commercial drone operators to understand all the Part 107 rules enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration. These rules inform the drone operators about how they can legally operate their unmanned aircraft systems.
The Federal Aviation Administration has made it mandatory for commercial drone operators to obtain a remote pilot certification. It is necessary to pass an Aeronautical Knowledge Test which is conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration in order to obtain this certification. The following topics are included in this test: which regulations apply on unmanned aircraft systems, how weather impacts unmanned aircraft systems, how drones are operated during emergency situations, how to properly maintain UAVs etc.
Lastly, commercial drone operators also need to get their unmanned aircraft systems registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. This registration must be renewed after three years and costs around $5. In order to make the identification of the unmanned aircraft system easier, FAA also encourages drone operators to prominently display the registration number on the drone.

For Government operators

Government employees who wish to operate an unmanned aircraft system can obtain a Federal Certificate of Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration. If they do not wish to obtain this certification, they can operate under FAA’s Part 107 rules as well. Following are some of FAA’s Part 107 drone laws:

The drone operators must pass an Aeronautical Knowledge Test conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. This will enable them to obtain a remote pilot certification from FAA.
A special permit has to be acquired in order to conduct drone operations in airspaces excluding Class G.
It is mandatory to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle at an altitude of 400 feet or less.
Getting your unmanned aircraft system registered with the Federal Aviation Administration is mandatory.
It is prohibited to operate an unmanned aircraft system at night in order to reduce the risk of accidents.

Drone Regulation Compliance Tips

The following drone regulation compliance tips are followed by several countries all over the world.

Refrain from operating more than one drone at a time

The aviation rules of many countries clearly specify that it is prohibited to operate more than one drone at a time due to the increased risk of accidents.

An unmanned aircraft system should not be operated behind buildings and trees

Having a proper visual on the unmanned aircraft system is important in order to ensure a safe flight. That is why flying behind trees and buildings is strongly discouraged.

Unmanned aircraft systems must never be operated near manned aircrafts

Drone operators are not allowed to fly in close proximity to a manned aircraft or an airport. This is because flying an unmanned aerial vehicle near a manned aircraft is extremely dangerous as it disrupts the visuals of aero plane and can cause accidents.

Never operate an unmanned aircraft system in areas where the public safety gets affected

While operating an unmanned aircraft system, drone operators have to be very careful about the security of the people around them. This is why they have to ensure that they do not operate unmanned aircraft systems in sensitive areas, especially in places where emergency operations are taking place.