Posted on 06/22/2016 6:44:34 AM PDT by milton23
Last December, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rushed an arbitrary and ineffectual recreational drone-owners’ registry into effect, mere days before Christmas and just in time to criminalize the flying of toys by thousands of children and hobbyists. The agency has potentially roped those toys under its definition of “aircraft” for purposes of all aircraft regulation as well. Following this bureaucratic overreach, a hobby drone operator who happens to be a lawyer, John Taylor, filed suit in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, challenging the registry.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailysign.al ...
We are going to need SOME type of drone regulation, one way or the other.
The nightmare scenario is a sky full of unrestricted drones at all altitude levels — whether hovering above your backyard or outside your window, or whether its a drone “highway” (flyway?) full of commercial drones making deliveries and recording information.
Not to mention the inevitable accidents and crashes.
I wonder how long till we are expected to get kite licenses too. After all, a drone could get entangled in a kite’s string.
They really should just fall under the same restrictions and regulations as R/C Model Airplanes. No more, no less.
. . .as opposed to a sky full of licensed commercial drones doing the same thing. . And Government drones doing whatever their operating agency deems appropriate ?
If drones are outlawed only outlaws will have drones....
AS both a pilot and a drone owner, I concur with the need for location and altitude regulations. Hitting a drone at over 100 mph could do serious damage to a light aircraft. Drones should be limited to low altitudes (below 500 ft AGL) and kept away from airports.
2. solution to drone problem: shoot them down with a laser.
This is not about regulation, this is about MONEY.
Regulation means monetizing ownership. A license renewal every two years means government workers to run the process and collect money.
This is about more moronic government do nothing employees.
Both alternatives are awful to contemplate. But even a staunch limited government type such as myself understands (as did the Founders) that there are some areas where government does have a legitimate role to play.
Personally, I'd be happy to see drones completely outlawed. But I don't really see that happening. I don't know what the solution is.
No real basis for that conclusion. The federal agencies have abdicated their regulatory role in other areas where enforcement has proven to be nearly impossible.
Having blinds on your home windows may become even more necessary...I can imagine drones “sneaking” around for government.
Thing is, these “drones” are no different than RC aircraft we’ve been flying for decades and decades and decades.
Difference is the number now—lot more now.
RC aircraft clubs and operators believed in self-regulation and responsible behavior.
Because the IQ of the average American and the average Americans immaturity is now unbounded, some “regulation” must be done.
So all those RC aircraft operators that are self-regulated and responsible have to be banned even though they’ve been flying for 50-plus years.
We need a Democrat registry.
We don't need a Moslem registry -- Islam is a criminal enterprise that can be attacked (and eliminated) using the RICO Act.
This is the model of what the goobermint wants:
Be drone smart
1. DON’T FLY NEAR AIRPORTS: Drones can interfere with commercial aircraft, and can cause severe safety issues in some cases. General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) regulations prohibit the flying of drones near, around or over airports.
2. DO OBTAIN PROPER PERMITS: According to GCAA regulations, all drones must be registered with the authority. If you are flying a drone in Dubai for commercial reasons, then you will need to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the DCAA. This can only be obtained after you are registered with and approved by a related authority, usually Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC).
3. DON’T FLY OVER RESIDENTIAL AREAS: For reasons of privacy, the federal and municipal authorities forbid the flying of drones over residential areas.
4. DO OBTAIN PERMISSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHS: Privacy comes into play here too, as do restrictions on snapping some government buildings. Check with the GCAA or DCAA for more details.
5. DO ENSURE IT IS IN EYESIGHT: Drones must always be kept within visual sight of the operator, only fly during daylight and at no higher than 400ft (122m) above ground level.
6. DO INFORM OF AN ACCIDENT: If there is an accident, the operator must inform the GCAA.
7. DO ENSURE UPMOST SAFETY WHEN FLYING: For the protection of people, the drone cannot fly within 200 metres of a person or building and cannot be flown overhead of groups of people at any height.
8. DO FLY WITHIN AN AVIATION CLUB: Drones weighing more than 5kg should be flown within the perimeters of licensed aviation clubs.
9. DO SEEK ADVICE FROM THE GOVERNMENT: To ensure you do not commit any offences as an active drone operator, your best bet is to consult with the DCAA or GCAA first.
“No real basis for that conclusion. “
Yes, there is. There have been hundreds of idiots and their drones flying in restricted airport airspaces. Some of those pinheads want video of landing airplanes so they fly drones into approach areas.
This entire topic would not be an issue if it weren’t for the drone operators doing such stupid things.
“Thing is, these “drones” are no different than RC aircraft we’ve been flying for decades and decades and decades.”
There is one major difference: Drones have cameras, and drone operators are flying in areas the RC guys never did to get video, like in airport areas.
It's like cars. In the early 1900s, cars didn't have to be regulated because there weren't that many of them.
Now think about rush hour traffic in any metro area or highway.
The difference between now and 50-plus years ago is the numbers. When drones become as ubiquitous as cars or computers for personal and commercial use, how is that going to work?
Right now, drones aren't much of a problem -- except if they're hovering over your back yard capturing images of your teen-aged daughters in bathing suits.
But look ahead 10 or 15 years (or even 5), and tell me that we can just rely on self-regulated and responsible drone owners to avoid chaos.
I don't think so.
Problem is, though, that government is so incredibly inept and incompetent that I can't imagine drone regulation working well either.
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