UAS and FAA :Drone licensing: Anyone else have one?

[Hoang N Nguyen]

My .02 cents, this whole drone register thing is a load of donkey poo. It will do NOTHING to stop the idiots that fly them like idiots. The FAA is requiring everyone to register themselves like a drivers license almost and write their register number on their aircraft. So, if I register and fail to write my number on my aircraft and decide to crash it on someone. How will they know it belongs to me?

Talk about ISIS using it to drop bombs and what not on people, this new law isn't going to stop them from doing it. This whole drone ordeal is a result of uninformed/misinformed people and the media making a non-issue an issue.

I fly RC planes, helicopters and drones. I'm also registered with the AMA who provides me with over million dollars in insurance in the event of an accident. I fly at dedicated flying fields and they require all members to register with the AMA before you can even become a member. They also require us to write our AMA number on all our aircraft's and they check it at the field.

The AMA is currently working with the FFA to make it where AMA members don't need to register because AMA members have already done what the FFA wants people to do while at the same time providing insurance for their members.

Again, this whole thing is stupid, stupid people will continue to do stupid things regardless of laws and regulations. It's just like how people that practice unsafe woodworking habits will continue to do so regardless of what their told.

[Greg Peterson]

Regulating drone operations won't prevent all the potential harm or damage. In lieu of any organized attempt to address such potential harms, what would you suggest as a more reasonable and more effective approach?

[Hoang N Nguyen]

The issue with trying to regulate drones is no different then trying to regulate guns. A drone and a gun in the hands of a crazy person, criminal or outlaw will still cause harm to people regardless of regulations.

I fly my drones according to FAA suggestions before all this talk of regulations. I fly my drone under 400 feet to avoid man aircrafts because they are not allowed to fly under 400 feet unless landing and taking off. I don't fly near airports so I don't run into man aircrafts while they are landing and taking off. My drone has built in flight restrictions which will not allow me to fly into restricted air zones such as airports. I don't need "regulations" to tell me how I need to fly my drone because I already follow the rules before all this became a big deal. The issue became a big deal because of all the idiots that take their drones up 4000 feet into the clouds (yes they can go that high), fly them over parks with tons of kids playing and flying them into each other.

Regulations will not stop these idiots from doing what they do.

[Erik Loza]

...A drone and a gun in the hands of a crazy person, criminal or outlaw will still cause harm to people regardless of regulations... Regulations will not stop these idiots from doing what they do.

I agree with you but does that mean we should just do nothing? Would the fact that someone had to show some type of licensing or permit in order to buy a drone in the first place and then, have to re-up on a routine basis not help weed out the dummies who do things like fly these into fire zones or around aircraft? Speaking only for myself, the fact that nothing has been done doesn't mean that we need to continue to let it be that way. I have never personally understood the whole "Everyone has them, so there's nothing we can do about it" argument. I'm required to show a valid license and insurance to either buy or rent a motor vehicle that's operated on public streets. Doesn't bother me. Sure, many folks drive without insurance or a license but the vast majority do have them and drive responsibly. Would it be unreasonable to ask someone who wanted to purchase an unmanned aircraft that, as of now, has no physcial limitation on being able to fly over private property or crowded public areas, to show proof of competency and perhaps insurance in order to do that?

Erik

[Art Mann]

What you are saying is the same thing as saying licensing an automobile and requiring the operator to have a driver's license doesn't prevent accidents. It is like saying that DUI laws don' prevent anyone driving while drinking. Do you really believe that?

The law isn't preventing anyone from doing anything other than writing a number on their airframe. Explain to me how that keeps an rc toy out of an airliners engine? All the necessary laws are there, it changes nothing in that respect.

I hate swing freedoms go away, it's a weak law.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I agree with you but does that mean we should just do nothing? Would the fact that someone had to show some type of licensing or permit in order to buy a drone in the first place and then, have to re-up on a routine basis not help weed out the dummies who do things like fly these into fire zones or around aircraft? Speaking only for myself, the fact that nothing has been done doesn't mean that we need to continue to let it be that way. I have never personally understood the whole "Everyone has them, so there's nothing we can do about it" argument. I'm required to show a valid license and insurance to either buy or rent a motor vehicle that's operated on public streets. Doesn't bother me. Sure, many folks drive without insurance or a license but the vast majority do have them and drive responsibly. Would it be unreasonable to ask someone who wanted to purchase an unmanned aircraft that, as of now, has no physcial limitation on being able to fly over private property or crowded public areas, to show proof of competency and perhaps insurance in order to do that?

Erik

You are right, something has to be done but where you are wrong is that something HAS already been done. It's called the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics). They work closely with the FAA and has been doing so long before any of these "drones" have been around. They collaborate with the FFA to set forth guidelines to safe usage of model aircraft's, how they should be used and where.

They have thousands of certified AMA flying fields across the country with hundreds of thousands of members where we can enjoy flying our model aircraft, weather it be an airplane, helicopter, cars or drones. In order to use these fields, you must be a member of the AMA. You pay a fee each year to the AMA, in return they provide you with a membership card with your member number on it. That number needs to be written on every model aircraft you own along with your name and phone number. In addition to that, they also provide you with over 1 million dollar in insurance in the event you were to crash your model aircraft into someones house and set it on fire. Or crash it into a person and send they to the hospital.

So yes, something HAS already been done but few know about them unless you are into this kind of stuff. Those that choice not to become a member of the AMA and fly the way they are suppose to is equivalent to you're analogy of people driving without car insurance. Their required to have insurance to drive but what are you going to do about it if they don't? No one will know until they rear end you at a stop light. The same can be said about people flying their drones and airplanes recklessly.

So I will repeat my first post on this subject, I think the FAA requiring everyone to register their drones is a load of donkey poo. Even the AMA thinks it's a load of donkey poo and they are trying to push back with the FAA to have their members exempt from this new regulation since we already have done something very similar to what the FAA wants. The AMA is also advising their members NOT to register with the FAA until the deadline is due because they want to exhaust all legal and political options first.

Oh, FYI, the FAA wants you to register yourself and not your drone. They will issue you a number in which you have to put on your drone and every other aircraft or radio controlled model you own........ Sounds a lot like what the AMA is doing isn't it?

[paul cottingham]

I think many of these arguments could be made against many other things. The "war on drugs" for example; clearly it has proven that people will take drugs, and pretty much nothing can be done about it. So do we abandon all laws that are unenforceable?

i think such arguments lead to uncomfortable places.

[Erik Loza]

You are right, something has to be done but where you are wrong is that something HAS already been done. It's called the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics). They work closely with the FAA and has been doing so long before any of these "drones" have been around. They collaborate with the FFA to set forth guidelines to safe usage of model aircraft's, how they should be used and where.

They have thousands of certified AMA flying fields across the country with hundreds of thousands of members where we can enjoy flying our model aircraft, weather it be an airplane, helicopter, cars or drones. In order to use these fields, you must be a member of the AMA. You pay a fee each year to the AMA, in return they provide you with a membership card with your member number on it. That number needs to be written on every model aircraft you own along with your name and phone number. In addition to that, they also provide you with over 1 million dollar in insurance in the event you were to crash your model aircraft into someones house and set it on fire. Or crash it into a person and send they to the hospital.

So yes, something HAS already been done but few know about them unless you are into this kind of stuff. Those that choice not to become a member of the AMA and fly the way they are suppose to is equivalent to you're analogy of people driving without car insurance. Their required to have insurance to drive but what are you going to do about it if they don't? No one will know until they rear end you at a stop light. The same can be said about people flying their drones and airplanes recklessly.

So I will repeat my first post on this subject, I think the FAA requiring everyone to register their drones is a load of donkey poo. Even the AMA thinks it's a load of donkey poo and they are trying to push back with the FAA to have their members exempt from this new regulation since we already have done something very similar to what the FAA wants. The AMA is also advising their members NOT to register with the FAA until the deadline is due because they want to exhaust all legal and political options first.

Oh, FYI, the FAA wants you to register yourself and not your drone. They will issue you a number in which you have to put on your drone and every other aircraft or radio controlled model you own........ Sounds a lot like what the AMA is doing isn't it?

I respectfully disagree. During driver's ed classes, you are made fully aware of what can happen if you don't have control of your vehicle. Right now, I can go onto Amazon and purchase a drone, no questions asked, that seems to me large enough to hurt someone or damage someone's property if it flew into them. You can't do that with a motor vehicle. So, it's apples to oranges. Now, someone could argue that they could buy a quad-runner or ATV that is a motorized vehicle that is able to hurt someone or damage property without any special license or registration and that is right. But, they are prohibited from operating that anywhere but on private property. I'm not saying folks shouldn't be allowed to own drones or have their hobbies but I do think that the technology and availability has far outrun our ability to put meaningful regulation into place that could protect folks from irresponsible use. Just my 2-cents as always.

Erik

[Scott Shepherd]

A lot of it could be solved if the laws would allow one to "disable" a drone operating on your property. Only issue is that the air space around your house isn't your property. In my opinion, if you are flying a "drone" (not what it really is) with a camera on it and you are in a position to see video in my house, then I should be able to walk outside, point some sort of jamming device at it, watch it fall from the sky, then walk over, pick it up, and toss it in my trash can, or call the police and have them stop by and pick it up. The jamming device should have a camera on it so you can see it being disabled while operating on or above my property. Then the person who owns it would have to explain to the police why they were watching live video through my windows.

If they were an actual person, looking through my windows, they'd be arrested. There's the mismatch to me. Make the laws treat "drone" operators just like people. If you are looking through the windows of someone's home, then you will be treated just like you were standing on the ground, not hiding behind technology out of sight, peeking in.

Just my two cents.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I respectfully disagree. During driver's ed classes, you are made fully aware of what can happen if you don't have control of your vehicle. Right now, I can go onto Amazon and purchase a drone, no questions asked, that seems to me large enough to hurt someone or damage someone's property if it flew into them. You can't do that with a motor vehicle. So, it's apples to oranges. Now, someone could argue that they could buy a quad-runner or ATV that is a motorized vehicle that is able to hurt someone or damage property without any special license or registration and that is right. But, they are prohibited from operating that anywhere but on private property. I'm not saying folks shouldn't be allowed to own drones or have their hobbies but I do think that the technology and availability has far outrun our ability to put meaningful regulation into place that could protect folks from irresponsible use. Just my 2-cents as always.

Erik

You completely miss my point, must of us ARE already registered. What the FAA is requiring is basically making us register ourselves TWICE. How about you I make you buy your normal car insurance as you've always done, then I make you another car insurance policy for stupid drivers an make you pay nearly as much? How would you feel? Unless you own a drone or are more informed in what is going on with this issue and not just repeating what the "media" is telling you. You don't have much grounds to stand on when it comes to it.

I know nothing about wood turning so I will not come on here telling you how to turn something. I won't tell you this and that isn't safe because I don't know jack about what I'm talking about.

Anyways, we'll just agree to disagree. I feel this issue will be a back and forth thing and no one will yield.

[Martin Wasner]

What you are saying is the same thing as saying licensing an automobile and requiring the operator to have a driver's license doesn't prevent accidents. It is like saying that DUI laws don' prevent anyone driving while drinking. Do you really believe that?

Art, a dwi law made it illegal to have a set limit on the amount of alcohol in your system while driving. It protects people. This new law made it illegal to fly an rc toy with out a number on it. There's a difference, if you can't see that, I don't know what to tell you. Vehicle registration is there to help fund infrastructure. Statically nobody has any driving training other than those few hours before you get your license, so I don't understand what you're getting at there either.

In 2012 the faa decided that uas were aircraft. Model or not, manned or not, if it flies, it's an aircraft. As such, your subject to all the rules of flying with the far/aim manual. Registering a piece of plastic is frivolous and accomplishes nothing. Charging $5 is great, but once they find out they need another couple hundred million dollars to build a website, they'll jack the price up. It's dumb. Period.

[Martin Wasner]

I respectfully disagree. During driver's ed classes, you are made fully aware of what can happen if you don't have control of your vehicle. Right now, I can go onto Amazon and purchase a drone, no questions asked, that seems to me large enough to hurt someone or damage someone's property if it flew into them. You can't do that with a motor vehicle. So, it's apples to oranges. Now, someone could argue that they could buy a quad-runner or ATV that is a motorized vehicle that is able to hurt someone or damage property without any special license or registration and that is right. But, they are prohibited from operating that anywhere but on private property. I'm not saying folks shouldn't be allowed to own drones or have their hobbies but I do think that the technology and availability has far outrun our ability to put meaningful regulation into place that could protect folks from irresponsible use. Just my 2-cents as always.

Erik

Same can be said for baseball's, bicycles, roller skates, sling shots, etcetera.

The products you sell disfigure more people than rc aircraft a year. Should I need a license or registration to buy a T130?

Slippery slope. How much control do want others to have over you?


Btw, you're local rep hasn't gotten back to me on pricing yet.

[Mike Henderson]

Same can be said for baseball's, bicycles, roller skates, sling shots, etcetera.

The products you sell disfigure more people than rc aircraft a year. Should I need a license or registration to buy a T130?

Slippery slope. How much control do want others to have over you?


Btw, you're local rep hasn't gotten back to me on pricing yet.

I think Erik's point is that things that can cause serious injury to other people from untrained operation should perhaps require some licensing and proof of skill.

But this is a gray area where there aren't hard and fast lines. It's obvious that operation of a motor vehicle on the public highways should be regulated, while using a baseball in a game should not be. But in between is not so obvious.

Mike

[I'll just add that there's a difference between safety devices mandated on a device, such as seat belts, and regulation of operation, such as driver's licenses.]

[Myk Rian]

Would anyone give a hoot had that been a camera on a cable system that failed? Most likely not, and that's why you don't hear about it. It can't be used to sell the people anything.

Precisely why you no longer see those cable cams at NASCAR races. One cable did fail, and fell on the track. 200 mph cars hit it, and slung it into the stands. People got hurt, sending a couple to the hospital.

[Jerome Stanek]

You completely miss my point, must of us ARE already registered. What the FAA is requiring is basically making us register ourselves TWICE. How about you I make you buy your normal car insurance as you've always done, then I make you another car insurance policy for stupid drivers an make you pay nearly as much? How would you feel? Unless you own a drone or are more informed in what is going on with this issue and not just repeating what the "media" is telling you. You don't have much grounds to stand on when it comes to it.

I know nothing about wood turning so I will not come on here telling you how to turn something. I won't tell you this and that isn't safe because I don't know jack about what I'm talking about.

Anyways, we'll just agree to disagree. I feel this issue will be a back and forth thing and no one will yield.

Not the same. If you have a pilots license for a fixed wing air craft and want to fly a rotary air craft you have to have a different license