Rules, sure. Making me get a $150 license to sell photos... every two years is crazy. I can sell photos from my dslr without a license.
The license is to fly non-recreationally, not to sell photos.
If the FAA doesn’t have the teeth to enforce the laws ( you said nobody is getting locked up) then that just fosters law breakers...
Case in point, Reading, PA made all parking tickets civil, not criminal. Now nobody gets locked up, they get bad credit. Do you really think the guy with 100 parking tickets in his glove box cares about bad credit? Take away the chance of going to jail, nobody follows the rules.
Keep making silly drone laws, people are going to break them... hey it’s only 15’ or 20’ or??? These laws are like gateway violations... break small ones now, hey break bigger ones later.
So since it is tough to enforce - just make it legal?
How about this, throw the book at the guy flying around the airport, and leave mom and dad alone filming their kids in the back yard.
You don't think that's not exactly what will happen?
How about making you show proof you took an online education on drones before you can buy one.
Hang on - are you proposing yet another law?
How about not selling drones that’ll fly 4 miles away from the controller unless you have a commercial license.
And another one?
How about (and I KEEP SAYING THIS). Make a person prove they can fly drones to get a 107 certificate).
OK - the test fee probably just went up by a factor of 10 - are you good with that? For someone who doesn't like the existing laws you sure are enthusiastic about a whole load of new ones.
Be honest, even without these specific drone laws, there are enough other laws you could arrest a person who is flying a drone at an airport disrupting operations without thiese silly new laws.
Which laws would those be? So make flying in controlled airspace without clearance legal and just use some vaguely-worded criteria for arresting people?
If a person, with intent, does willfully and knowingly fly a drone in a dangerous manner.... that’s how it should read.
That law already exists. You like that one?
Dad taking a photo at 15’ in his backyard shouldn’t ever be breaking federal law, this is the USA not Russia or N Korea.
Perhaps you should suggest a specific exemption clause in Section 349.
My opinion, I have my 107 because I follow the rules. I still think it’s silly. My obtaining that 107 certification did not make me 1 ounce a better or safer drone pilot.
I can see why you would think that, since you seem to have forgotten all that you learned.
1 last scenario for you: You got hired (you’re all legal and have your 107) to do something commercial with your drone. You didn’t have the forethought to register a future 107 flight at your job site through LAANC. So now you drive an hour, get to your remote job site and have zero cell service to go online and get ATC authorization to fly. You’re pretty sure you’re not near any airport and will only need to fly at 50’. Do you fly anyway??
Great example. With that level of competence you might show up at your job site having forgotten to bring your drone. Do you fly anyway?
Will the average Joe fly anyway without ATC authorization?
If he doesn't care about following the law - maybe.
Prohibition was a law, segregation, women not voting, etc. just because you can make a law, doesn’t mean it’s a good law.
And just because you can make an analogy doesn't mean it's a good analogy.
Sorry went off on a tangent there but not flying at an airport makes sense. Throw the book at that idiot. But, if there is a full size aircraft at 15’ in my back yard... I won’t fly my drone... promise. This is kinda like putting a 20 mph speed limit on a 55 mph road. People are going to disregard the laws. Make a few good laws, people will follow them. Make a million silly laws... people might bend a few.
A great illustration of the futility of trying to debate a subject with someone who sees nothing but the two ends of the spectrum - endangering aircraft by flying recklessly around an airport and dad taking photos at 15 ft in his backyard. Do you really not see the problems and complexity of the vast range of scenarios in between, or are you imagining that it's some kind of clever argument to ignore them?
Sorry, had a few beers, but I’m over 21 and not flying my drone so don’t tell the FAA!!
Just be grateful that you are not responsible for figuring out aviation safety, or probably any other kind for that matter. Much easier to just drink beer and complain.