WE DON’T WANT TO TAKE YOUR DRONES, WE JUST WANT YOU TO REGISTER THEM: Drone Policy Abuzz in Washington as Holiday Gift Season Approaches.

An army of small drones are heading for the national airspace this holiday season — many of them hiding in closets and gift-wrapped boxes under Christmas trees.

The flood of new aircraft — and new pilots — is expected as federal officials are preparing to tighten their grip on drone fliers. The Federal Aviation Administration said in October it would require registration of drones and a task force made recommendations for the registration system for small drones in November.

Federal rules already require commercial users to register to fly drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems. But officials, as well as representatives of the aviation industry, are worried that recreational drone users, including the pajama-clad pilots who might take their drone for a virgin flight on Christmas Day, might not understand the rules behind launching into U.S. airspace.

Safety concerns have grown to the point that members of Congress want the federal government to be able to track down a drone operator in case something bad happens.

“Pajama-clad?”