Drones galore - Merry f...... Christmas - Curt Lewis

FAA warns of 'a million drones under people's Christmas trees'

A top FAA official said as many as one million small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could be sold during the upcoming US holiday season.

"The talking point is that there will be a million drones under people's Christmas trees this year," FAA assistant administrator-policy, international affairs and environment Rich Swayze said, adding that he has heard the one-million figure "from several sources."

Speaking at the Airlines for America (A4A) Commercial Aviation Industry Summit in Washington DC, Swayze said FAA is trying to get in front of the sales surge to inform the public about safety issues associated with small UAVs. "We're trying to get out and educate people about potential dangers," he said.

Swayze explained that FAA plans to send a representative to a pre-Christmas staff meeting at US retail giant Walmart to educate sales people selling small UAVs on how to inform consumers about operating UAVs safely. Walmart advertises 19 different "drones" online, ranging in price from $19.99 to $274.95. "A lot of people who don't have a pilot background are operating these things in the airspace," Swayze said.