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are we talking about the same thing , drones ,RC plains and gliders ( not real air craft ) . right now FAA reg is free for two years . it's always about the money .
It's the same for sUAS and for manned aircraft only difference is how you register. Registration is NOT free for sUAS unless that just changed. It's $5 for 3yr. I think I stated $5/yr earlier which is incorrect.
Registration costs $5 per number (per aircraft if Part 107) and is valid for 3 years.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
Please cite your source for this information.
When registration was first rolled out in 2016 there was a window where registration would be refunded if you did so in time. So for some registration was free for the three year term. Then it was briefly rescinded due to a court case. Lastly it was reinstated earlier this year and is now just as it has been, $5 for 3 yrs.
I think that's probably one of the biggest hurdles. This is just such a difficult hobby to enforce.
well, we train, test, and license auto drivers - have you seen any idiots on the road lately?
So how is UAV licensing going to change anything.
So how is UAV licensing going to change anything.
What an absurd comment. Idiots abound to say the least.
Without any sort of training (and subsequent testing aka licensing) how would the hobby operator know where to look up a TFR or even that they should look up a TFR? How are they supposed to know the rules and regulations in order to be able to fly (other than in their own back yard) safely?
Does licensing stop idiots? Absolutely not but there are many "non-idiots" who would fly safely and within the rules if they were required to learn and certify them.
Wouldn't a simple solution be a transponder in every registered drone? I was told by a very experienced pro drone operator (one of the pioneers), that there is a tiny transponder solution coming available. That way every flight is monitored and if any break the law, they can be tracked down to it's owner when enforcement action can be taken. The other comments on ADS-B via wifi or cellular also seem like an excellent solution. I see no other solution to forcing the idiots in our world to comply than to be able to monitor their flights just like real aircraft. Of course this would also mean that every drone would have to be registered. I imagine the software in the drone can enforce that before any flight.
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Simple for who? What if you want to fly where wireless and cell coverage is not available.? How about the government allocates some funds to enforce the laws we already have so that the idiots can be arrested and charged? We don't need to put even more burden on legal fliers, just START to enforce the many laws that WE already follow.
It's funny how panicked people are about drones when we have millions of other vehicles, (cars) driving around killing people every day. I agree something has to be done about stupid people but more expenses and hassles for people who follow the rules should not be the awnser.
If no connection is available I see no issue to let the drone fly as it's probably safely in a remote area, (class G airspace, unless near a very rural airport). Enforcing laws is dependent on identifying the law breakers. How can they do that if there is no way to track and ID the offending drone and it's owner? There is no burden other than registering your drone upon purchase or before your first flight.
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So then you want a law that says "sometimes you should be connected "? How will that help? How about if you want to buy any UAV that you need to have a certificate that says you have some basic education on airspace etc.? Then if you get stopped by any LEO and are not holding prof (your basic license) you get a fine? Exactly like a car. Kids and hobbyist on AMA fields could be exempt. There is no reason to force people to pay for cell service if they don't want it just to fly a drone, people are not required to have cell service to drive a car, a much more dangerous vehicle.
Okay, just just clip the wire to the cell antenna and you should be good anywhere, huh?
The transponder that I spoke about doesn't require a cell or wifi connection. I used that as an alternative. I think a few of you over reacted to what I think is a sensible solution to keep the sky safe from idiots that will ruin it for all of us eventually. Is there is any other way to enforce laws without a tracking device? It would also allow us to fly in more congested airspace as the controllers can see exactly where you are at all times, (with a clearance of course).
While I do agree with some of what you're saying there are other hurdles that this system will bring and I'm not sure they can be overcome. The biggest one (IMHO) is the idea of cluttering the screen in ATC with sUAS. It can already get very "busy" with just manned aircraft in the area during high traffic periods . I can't even imagine what a sunny Sunday afternoon around Atlanta/Hartsfield International would look like with sUAS on the scope.
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I have to agree with this BigAl, too much clutter, the ATC does not want to see every toy drone in everyone's backyard.
Reading a few other forums on here the other day, I found many people have already mentioned the transponders solution. I thought about the ATC issue when I brought up transponders, and was thinking if it only showed up if the drone was more than 400' AGL (or unless within 5 miles of an airport). Maybe they can filter it out unless it's a danger. That would require software filtering on their end and probably not that difficult but of course probably an expensive option for them. I just don't see a way for the authorities to catch offenders and keep the sky safe without it. Model rockets and R/C aircraft have been around for over 50 years without issues. It's really a shame that people are behaving so badly with drones.
You speak volumes with that one comment there.
We "Self Policed" is a big portion of it. If you didn't follow the rules you didn't get to fly at our "Club Field". The aircraft required fairly specific criteria for takeoff/landing which we met with via the club flying field. If you didn't follow the AMA safety code, didn't follow "Club Rules", or if you just weren't a safe modeler you were asked to leave the club. It sounds harsh but that's how we protected the interest of the club itself. Our flying club ejected one member because he just couldn't hold his temper and he had a very foul mouth. He would break a prop and go off on a temper tantrum busting his equipment, throwing things, and shouting obscenities for what seemed like an hour. Finally he pitched a fit in front of one of our member families and almost hit a kid (accidentally) when he threw his TX across the flight line because he crashed his plane. We voted him out and he was ejected from our club.
Also, for the most part, you had to learn to fly and invest the time to build the aircraft.. This time, learning, and heart investment helped you to try to fly responsibly. It hurt to build one for several weeks and crash it (totaled) on the very first flight. Those who didn't have the passion or motivation to go All-In usually self corrected and got out of the hobby very quickly.
With today's self flying, self stabilizing, VTOL capabilities coupled with off-the-shelf fly-ability we have created a Fire Storm to say the least. Anyone with a credit card and.... well that's it... can be a sUAS Operator in a matter of minutes.
I believe we should post on Facebook or any/all mass media methods as many "good" ideas for the use of Drones as possible to counter all the BAD media image's out there.
Drones could be used for Search and Rescue, Shark Watch, Delivery of Life rings to people caught in Rip Tides,,, anything else "Positive".
There is only NEGATIVE posting of Drones now because our Mass media {news} focuses on only NEGATIVE issues in order to retain viewers.
So whenever you find a GOOD use for a Drone please place it on some form of media and share it with all of us.
I don't think Drones are going to go away, but the government will continue to place more restrictions on them whenever they can.
Most people who are not Drone or RC pilots see them as a potential invasion of privacy or a noisy nuisance. Lets change that if we can.
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