NATCHEZ — If Santa brings you or your child a drone this year make sure he leaves a rulebook, too.

The FAA announced recently that all operators of small, unmanned aircraft systems or drones must register their aircraft before flying outdoors, and requires all pilots to conform to national safety guidelines.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates all national airspace, considers operators of model aircraft and “drones” to be pilots, and part of the national aviation system, according to its website.

FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said this was largely common sense.

“When you put a half-pound or any size aircraft into the air, you’re operating in airspace that also happens to be used by manned aircraft of all types,” Lunsford said. “With that comes the responsibility to know what the rules for safe operation are.”

Lunsford said the FAA had two main reasons for requiring registration.

“The primary purpose is we hope that by requiring registration, we will instill a sense of importance about owning one of these small aircraft,” Lunsford said. “Our primary goal here is education.”

The second reason, Lunsford said, is enforcement.

“It enables us to identify the owners of these small aircraft in the event there’s some incident we need to follow up on,” Lunsford said.

Part of registration will include providing a description of your aircraft and marking it with a number that will be unique to you, similar to a license plate. Pilots will be required to keep a copy of their registration on them while flying.

“If it appears you’re operating unsafely, local law enforcement or an FAA official can ask to see your registration,” Lunsford said.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office Spokeswoman Courtney Taylor said deputies patrol to monitor recreational vehicles such as four-wheelers, which aren’t allowed on public roads, and unsafe drone usage could be monitored the safe way.

“Or someone at the airport could call and report it,” Taylor said.

A new online registration process will open Monday, and any pilots who register in the first 30 days after opening will be able to register free of charge. After that, the application fee will be $5.

Pilots who have already been operating drones prior to Monday must register by Feb. 19, 2016. Anyone who may be getting a drone for Christmas has to register before flying outdoors, and must be at least 13-years-old to use the new streamlined, web-based application.

The online registration process can only be used for aircraft between .55 and 55 pounds, including the weight of any payloads such as on-board cameras.

Once registered, the FAA requires all operators of drones to conform to national guidelines.

The rules are an extension of some of the basic operating rules that have applied for years to model aircraft, Lunsford said, and are based on common sense.

If you or your child will be operating a drown, here are some rules you need to fly by:

Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles.

Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times.

Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations.

Don’t fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying.

Don’t fly near people or stadiums.

Don’t fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 pounds.

Lunsford said if your aircraft is so high you can’t see it clearly, you’re probably over 400 feet.

The online videos taken by drones above crowds at sporting events and concerts, Lunsford said, are also very dangerous.

“Any place you’re flying it and it has some mechanical failure, the 1 or 2 pound drone can become a 1 or 2 pound rock,” Lunsford said. “And no one wants that to fall on them.”

Natchez-Adams County Airport director Bob Hawk said all local unmanned flights must conform to the FAA guidelines, which are designed to prevent accidents.

“Well, if I have an aircraft in the area, and they get that drone up high enough, it could affect the safety of that aircraft,” Hawk said.

The FAA requires all flights within five miles of an airport to gain permission before launching a drone.

Natchez-Adams is a non-towered airport, so Hawk said nearby pilots would need to find out if they are in the five-mile zone, and if they are, contact the airport directly before flying.

Though becoming the pilot of an unmanned aircraft is a big responsibility, Lunsford said children can still be part of the fun.

“Impress upon him or her that, like anything else, there are consequences to unsafe operation,” Lunsford said. “Just as you would teach them to drive a car, ride a bicycle, or shoot a gun, teach them to do it in the safest way possible.”