Have I missed something in the translation? I thought (
I need to verify this) that this new set of proposed rules is directed at NON-Commercial (hobby) UAS operations.
Since this is a serious thread,
Why do you feel taking an exam is best for everyone?
When the aircraft "can" operate autonomously, gyro stabilized, and fly further than a couple hundred yards from the Tx then YES a test should be implemented. If the aircraft "can" interfere with manned aviation the UAS operator should prove some degree of NAS knowledge, some degree of operating abilities, and some system knowledge. If you don't know how to determine these things how can you in any way attest that you can always operate your UAS in a safe manner? You can NOT!
Taking an exam isn't going to stop the bad apples from doing their illegal flying.
This is true to some degree and no amount of Gvt regulation can stop every bad person from doing bad things with a UAS. On the flip side we see posts EVERY single day from people commenting on how they don't understand NFZ, TFR, and airspace. We see posts from people stating "How can I override the NFZ/Altitude Limits?" That's totally unacceptable to say the least. If we all want to be big boys and fly our "big boy toys" freely then we need to step up to the plate and acquire the knowledge and prove we are capable of doing this safely.
If we don't want to have flight and safety standards then we need to get toy grade aircraft that aren't capable of operating with the big boys. We can't have it both ways because at some point there will be an incident and you haven't even began to see regulations compared to what will come into play once that happens. You can bet your bottom dollar that if John Q. Public becomes afraid to fly because of our aircraft we will be regulated so tightly we can't afford to say the word drone let alone own one. When the airline industry reports lost revenue because the public is afraid of a drone to manned aircraft incident the all mighty dollar will speak and speak very loudly. It won't matter how much we beg, plead, demand, or cry we will be regulated back to toy grade aircraft in the blink of an eye.
It's much better to get the foundation put down now so that we can say, "We're working already towards a safer UAS integration" and have some type of "evidence" that we are able and willing to work within the existing infrastructure.
If anyone thinks that the Drone Industry is huge it's time for a reality check and compare it to the Commercial Aviation industry. If we cause a loss in ticket sales/revenue we can kiss our UAS freedom good bye.
For transparency I am not Pro govt. Quite the opposite and in fact on many fronts I'm anti-govt. I am also realistic and understand that when the dollar speaks our small voices are completely muted. Our $500-$1,500-$3,000-$10,000 UAS are drops in the ocean when it comes to ticket fairs and Commercial Aviation transactions across the nation. If something bad happens we will learn our rank on the food chain in the blink of an eye.