Friend of a Friend Fined $1800 no registration on drone..i have questions

[Michael Thompson]

Part of the DJI dealer agreement says you are responsible for making sure customers knows. Somehow big box stores get around it.

No they don't. There is wording in the manual and when you boot up the first time on DJI Go. You are completely wrong.

 

[John Q Public]

I bought a car a while back. No where did it say I had to have a drivers license to use it. How was I to know!

 

[42FrankZ]

I bought a car a while back. No where did it say I had to have a drivers license to use it. How was I to know!

I bought a new car 6 weeks ago, they wanted my drivers license before I could complete the sale.

 

[Mike McCracken]

Some neighbor turned him in. The aviation police from the airport came to his house and wanted to throw him in jail. This is where it gets foggy. My friend said he got the fine because he didn't have registration on drone. But I think it's because he wasn't registered period. Because the only way i found out about taping the number to your drone was from this site. I could not find it any where on the faa site that you have to tape the number to your drone.

Here are my questions. Do you have to put the faa number on your drone?
If yes, why isn't on their website instucting people to do it?

I wonder if your friend's neighbors "cousin" or something could have been pretending to be "aviation police" and are now $1800 richer? Did you get their ID and all that? Where were they from exactly? Homeland Security? Men in Black? Who did he pay the check to? Surely he didn't pay that in cash?

 

[Mauitude1]

Registration Deletion

 

[aeronautic1]

I believe in not temptiing providence. Not only do I have a label with my FAA registration number on my bird, but also the official FAA certificate printed out, plastic coated and in my kit bag in case the popo role up. Follow the regs, call the tower cab if operation within 5 miles of a control tower and fly responsibly. And for goodness sake, keep it out of the trees!

 

[Joe Glenn]

It is my understanding that registration is for commercial flying only. Am I mistaken?


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

This was my exact thought also!

 

[aeronautic1]

This was my exact thought also!

Small Unmanned Aerial Registration. FAA regulation includes private drones.

sUAS Registration

 

[Steve Bynum]

Small Unmanned Aerial Registration. FAA regulation includes private drones.

sUAS Registration

If you buy a new drone in the U.S. to fly non-commercially, you no longer have to register your drone with the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a decision issued today by a federal court in Washington, D.C.


The court ruled that the FAA’s drone registration rules, which have been in place since 2015, were in violation of a law passed by Congress in 2012. That law, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, prohibited the FAA from passing any rules on the operation of model aircraft — in other words, rules that restrict how non-commercial hobbyist drone operators fly.

Now, if a person buys a new drone to fly for fun, they no longer have to register that aircraft with the FAA. But if flying for commercial purposes, drone buyers still need to register.

The lawsuit was won by John Taylor, a model aircraft enthusiast, who brought the case against the FAA in January 2016.

 

[aeronautic1]

If you buy a new drone in the U.S. to fly non-commercially, you no longer have to register your drone with the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a decision issued today by a federal court in Washington, D.C.


The court ruled that the FAA’s drone registration rules, which have been in place since 2015, were in violation of a law passed by Congress in 2012. That law, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, prohibited the FAA from passing any rules on the operation of model aircraft — in other words, rules that restrict how non-commercial hobbyist drone operators fly.

Now, if a person buys a new drone to fly for fun, they no longer have to register that aircraft with the FAA. But if flying for commercial purposes, drone buyers still need to register.

The lawsuit was won by John Taylor, a model aircraft enthusiast, who brought the case against the FAA in January 2016.

That's great news. However, I belive cCongress will pass a new law

If you buy a new drone in the U.S. to fly non-commercially, you no longer have to register your drone with the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a decision issued today by a federal court in Washington, D.C.


The court ruled that the FAA’s drone registration rules, which have been in place since 2015, were in violation of a law passed by Congress in 2012. That law, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, prohibited the FAA from passing any rules on the operation of model aircraft — in other words, rules that restrict how non-commercial hobbyist drone operators fly.

Now, if a person buys a new drone to fly for fun, they no longer have to register that aircraft with the FAA. But if flying for commercial purposes, drone buyers still need to register.

The lawsuit was won by John Taylor, a model aircraft enthusiast, who brought the case against the FAA in January 2016.

That one is news to me. But it won't last long. Congress will, in time, pass a law (remember, the FAA was a regulatory move) what with the use of sUAS by terrorists in the field. Stay vigilent and when Congress discusses this, we must put pressure on our representatives to defeat it. Thanks for the update.

 

[42FrankZ]

I believe the decision was stayed pending appeal by the FAA which would mean registration is still a requirement.

Although if they are offering refunds it may be they aren't[ planning an appeal.

 

[CoopCK]

It's five bucks! Geeeze...

 

[msinger]

I believe the decision was stayed pending appeal by the FAA which would mean registration is still a requirement.

The ruling is now final. You can find more details about the case here.

 

[aburkefl]

\
I think this whole subject is pure internet BS. There is no aviation police and the only people that can enforce this is the FAA( you might call them the aviation police if you want to but they are not). In an enforcement action, the FAA will send a registered, certified USPS mail informing you of the charges. They do not come from the "airport" and visit you. There are only a few of these offices and most are not on airport property but in federal buildings.

I label this B.S.

"Sir, please step away from the drone. Put your hands up. You are under arrest." LOL

Well, I suppose if you're flying very foolishly over people's houses (or other places where you shouldn't be flying) and doing it consistently, you're going to come under some potential observation/speculation and maybe a visit from the local constabulary. It is sometimes unfortunately easy to bug someone under a "...general nuisance..." law.

When the post started out about a "...friend who had a friend..." it made me think of my brother-in-law. When he starts with "...most people don't know this...: I wander far enough away that my laughter doesn't piss him off!

Art - N4PJ
Leesburg, FL

 

[aburkefl]

That's part of the problem, go to practically any store and you can buy a drone and the clerk that rings you up probably doesn't have a clue about any FAA regs (and couldn't care less) so nothing is said. Newbie takes his new toy out and starts zooming around and, probably, crashing into things and never knows about registering. DJI is so concerned about keeping phantom pilots out of NFZs, seems like they would do a better service just putting a notice in the package that many countries (might even include a list with webpages) reguire registration before flying.

I have several drones - Phantom 3 Pro, Blade Chroma and Blade QX3. All those models have a camera. Also have several other drones, but they're mostly small, essentially toys. In the "manuals" (I use that term loosely!) for the most recent ones (the Phantom and the Chroma) it states: "As of this writing, this craft is required to be registered." (I must confess I'm struggling to find the actual statement, but I fully remember seeing it.) Things get pretty complicated pretty quickly however - the laws are changing very rapidly.

Art - N4PJ
Leesburg, FL