[Habano]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated that persons owning an Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) between 0.55 and 55 lbs must register it in a federal database before flying it: https://registermyuas.faa.gov/

To register, you log onto the FAA's website, pays a $5 fee, and then provide your physical and email addresses. In return, the FAA provides a registration number that you're supposed to put on your drone.

I actually have mixed thoughts about this one. On one hand, the registration seems to be another aspect of "big brother government" where the information could potentially be misused. But on the other, there seem to be reasonable justifications. If someone (illegally) flies his toy drone near commercial aircraft, it's flirting with disaster. It shouldn't be hard to track down persons who are jeopardizing the safety of others. Likewise, if a person is using his toy to invade the privacy of others, the same rationale should apply.

What does everyone else think?

[Paracelsus]

I think there will be a new, strong market for drones weighing 0.54 lbs and lower, and 56 lbs and greater. The privacy argument was out of the bag the moment they put a fucking camera in every smartphone, and as miniaturisation gets better, it'll only get worse.

[Malone]

The only people this mandate is going to affect are the dumbasses. The criminals just won't register them and still do bad shit anyway.

There's a ton of unrealized potential for assassination and terror with commercial drones. It'll start happening soonish.

[Habano]

It also seems like the FAA used some potentially faulty legal reasoning to set up this requirement so quickly.

Normally, under U.S. law, federal agencies are supposed to put proposed rules of general applicability to the public though a "notice and comment" phase, something which allows the public and interested stakeholders to give feedback on the policy and create an administrative record for judicial review. The FAA didn't do this, using an exception under the law made possible by claiming that the matter was too urgent to do so.

Also, Congress passed a law a couple of years ago (the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012). The relevant section (sec. 336) provides:

Quote:

(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the incorporation of unmanned aircraft systems into Federal Aviation Administration plans and policies, including this subtitle, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft, or an aircraft being developed as a model aircraft, if—
(1) the aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use;
(2) the aircraft is operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization;
(3) the aircraft is limited to not more than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program administered by a community-based organization;
(4) the aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft; and
(5) when flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the aircraft provides the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation (model aircraft operators flying from a permanent location within 5 miles of an airport should establish a mutually-agreed upon operating procedure with the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport)).

Definitely ambiguous legal jargon, but it seems to me that Congress expressed some intent against what the FAA just did.

[superschalk]

If you see things like this happening there might be an argument for registration

[Sebastian]

Some government slaves just freak out when they see a drone. 'Oh that's a threat'

This person running a 5K event asked me to shoot the event with a drone.
I was about to grab the start scene but this cop asked me to bring it down immediately since it's 'illegal'

Anyways, they have to call it differently since some people think of Military Drone they use to bomb terrorists and innocent people in middle east.

[Razgriz]

I too have mixed feelings. Hate more regulation but just this year there was a fire in San Bernardino county and too many idiots were flying there drones through it to get some footage and the fire department had to ground their choppers due to the airway traffic.

[Sebastian]

Yeah those people were idiots. I wouldn't fly it if I know there would be helicopters around.
I fly at the park and I got nervous few times when I heard helicopter sound even though I was flying just twice height as the lighting pole. lol

I am not an idiot like this guy who would fly it intentionally around police station but I would be nervous to fly around some cool buildings and am not sure if I want to deal with possible police harassment. 'hey sir, it's illegal, give me your ID'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHcjSrySRsc

[Windom Earle]

[philosophical_recovery]

(12-26-2015 01:29 PM)Razgriz Wrote:  

I too have mixed feelings. Hate more regulation but just this year there was a fire in San Bernardino county and too many idiots were flying there drones through it to get some footage and the fire department had to ground their choppers due to the airway traffic.

Really?

There used to be guys that would shoot large birds near airfields to stop such things. Why don't they just shoot the damn things down?

After a few of those tools have their $2k toy blasted down with some bird shot, they'll stop the nonsense.

[AntiTrace]

This was well overdue and not part of some conspiracy theory.

You previously had idiots flying drones in and around active airspace. You also had idiots flying them in TFR areas (firefighting is the biggest example).

Drone pilots (read, dudes that wish they could fly, but cant) are huge safety hazards. Want to register a drone and fly it above 400 feet? Well your ass should have to hold a private pilots license to do so.

At least then they could appreciate the airways and realize that flying a 20 lb drone in a class E extension in marginal weather is just asking for a mid-air and subsequent CNN front page.

P.S. I have a drone.

[AntiTrace]

(12-26-2015 08:24 PM)philosophical_recovery Wrote:  

(12-26-2015 01:29 PM)Razgriz Wrote:  

I too have mixed feelings. Hate more regulation but just this year there was a fire in San Bernardino county and too many idiots were flying there drones through it to get some footage and the fire department had to ground their choppers due to the airway traffic.

Really?

There used to be guys that would shoot large birds near airfields to stop such things. Why don't they just shoot the damn things down?

After a few of those tools have their $2k toy blasted down with some bird shot, they'll stop the nonsense.

Technically, that would be the destruction an aircraft. Massive legal implications. It's not that simple.

[philosophical_recovery]

(12-26-2015 08:27 PM)AntiTrace Wrote:  

(12-26-2015 08:24 PM)philosophical_recovery Wrote:  

(12-26-2015 01:29 PM)Razgriz Wrote:  

I too have mixed feelings. Hate more regulation but just this year there was a fire in San Bernardino county and too many idiots were flying there drones through it to get some footage and the fire department had to ground their choppers due to the airway traffic.

Really?

There used to be guys that would shoot large birds near airfields to stop such things. Why don't they just shoot the damn things down?

After a few of those tools have their $2k toy blasted down with some bird shot, they'll stop the nonsense.

Technically, that would be the destruction an aircraft. Massive legal implications. It's not that simple.

You're right, unless they're violating airspace. This is the airspace equivalent of someone putting a hand in your face and yelling "NOT TOUCHING YOU! NOT TOUCHING YOU!" at a certain point, nobody is going to care if you lay that idiot out.

It's been awhile since I flew these things, but it was always clear to me that flying near fullsize aircraft, or near airports, or things like that was a huge no-no. Always flew on designated airfields, but mine were big pieces of wood with metal, glow powered motors on the nose with strong, fiber reinforced props that could easily remove body parts. Every now and then someone would be stupid and fly one into themselves and lose an arm, fingers, sometimes his life, but it was a rare event.

[JacksonRev]

I sell and fly drones for my job, and this legislation will basically do nothing but be an expensive government pain in the ass just like firearm registration.

The correct response would be to create comprehensive legislation for no fly zones after public comments and then publish this as a shapefile / KML, and implement it in the software. Flying in these areas would require registration and licensing. They also need better defined air property laws, the simplest being to automatically extend property lines to 400 feet above the property.

[Penta Sahi]

(12-26-2015 07:45 PM)Windom Earle Wrote:  

Geez I remember when that story happened. She ended up getting off easy:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcnea...probation/

Quote:

Despite the fact that her assault of a minor was caught on film, that she attempted to fabricate a story about the assault, and the victim expressed opposition to probation, Mears was nevertheless granted a form probation that will erase the charges from her record after two years.

[Sebastian]

do you think I should register my drone?

I don't know how long it will take for local police to be educated about this and when they will eventually harass drone flyers by asking 'drone registration please'

(12-26-2015 09:06 PM)kleyau Wrote:  

I sell and fly drones for my job, and this legislation will basically do nothing but be an expensive government pain in the ass just like firearm registration.

The correct response would be to create comprehensive legislation for no fly zones after public comments and then publish this as a shapefile / KML, and implement it in the software. Flying in these areas would require registration and licensing. They also need better defined air property laws, the simplest being to automatically extend property lines to 400 feet above the property.

[azulsombra]

How is this different then automobile or plane registration?

[Razgriz]

You could do like this guy.

http://www.cnet.com/news/judge-rules-man...his-house/

[porscheguy]

(12-26-2015 08:26 PM)AntiTrace Wrote:  

This was well overdue and not part of some conspiracy theory.

You previously had idiots flying drones in and around active airspace. You also had idiots flying them in TFR areas (firefighting is the biggest example).

Drone pilots (read, dudes that wish they could fly, but cant) are huge safety hazards. Want to register a drone and fly it above 400 feet? Well your ass should have to hold a private pilots license to do so.

At least then they could appreciate the airways and realize that flying a 20 lb drone in a class E extension in marginal weather is just asking for a mid-air and subsequent CNN front page.

P.S. I have a drone.

I'm in agreement here. If it weren't for the fact that people are assholes and they do stupid shit willfully to be assholes, I'd be pissed off about it. But when you see a video on liveleak of a passenger jet narrowly missing some dicks drone while it's on final approach, something has to be done. Do they not remember the passenger jet that went down in the Hudson a few years ago? That was brought down by fucking birds that are far more flimsy and fragile than a drone. Or how about the assholes that violate their neighbor's privacy AND their airspace by flying one of the fucking things into their yards and looking in their windows.

In a way I think drones are pretty cool. I've had RC planes. But there's a huge difference with a plane versus a drone. With the plane, there's a learning curve, and if you fuck up, you've fucked yourself out of a plane. So they don't tend to appeal to assholes who intend to be assholes. With the drone, it's a matter of charging the batteries and off you go.

[JacksonRev]

(12-26-2015 09:58 PM)Sebastian Wrote:  

do you think I should register my drone?

I don't know how long it will take for local police to be educated about this and when they will eventually harass drone flyers by asking 'drone registration please'

Yes, you should register.

I don't agree with how they did it, but the fines are exorbitant, and they're going to make some examples to start out, and you don't want to be one of those examples.