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Guys,
Just tonight I heard on Fox News XM some very disturbing news.

The FAA is looking at letting local governments place restrictions on flights below 200 feet. First responders have the ability to disable drones and more and more states are allowing use of the technology.

A government spokesman was telling about the dangers of drones which could start fires in national parks. A police officer was telling about how they could interfere with SAR and emergency aircraft. As usual when the government is building a case, they were really talking up the negative aspects. Bomb carrying ability to be used by terrorists. Smuggling by drug dealers. Crashing rescue helicopters.

Are there any groups out there who have formed any serious organizations to represent drone operators? I fear if we do not organize and begin to interact on a professional basis with local, state and federal authorities to make sure accurate information is made available to lawmakers and other groups and to begin work with them to address their in many cases valid concerns we will find ourselves regulated out of existence with a very short time.

Many of you are likely aware of how well meaning people looking to protect the public interest and community safety can get unreasonably aggressive. Just like with Firearms, drones can easily be represented as dangerous, uneccessary and in need of more and more regulations.

What are your thoughts? And what organizations are out there to do this work? We need our version of the NRA right NOW!
 
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Focus on the reason for the push for such regulations (and then they wouldn’t be necessary).
 
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Are there any groups out there who have formed any serious organizations to represent drone operators? I fear if we do not organize and begin to interact on a professional basis with local, state and federal authorities to make sure accurate information is made available to lawmakers and other groups and to begin work with them to address their in many cases valid concerns we will find ourselves regulated out of existence with a very short time.... We need our version of the NRA right NOW!

The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has been around since 1936 and aggressively lobbies for ALL types of model aircraft. Academy of Model Aeronautics
 
Thanks guys. I will check into them. Really concerned with some of the stories I’m hearing.
 
I’m not a regulation lover, but I am also not one for a laissez-faire system... being proactive usually involves looking at potential dangers before they become horrendous atrocities and trying to make an educated guess as to how to mitigate the risk.

It’s not an easy road to drive down from a regulators standpoint... I find it interesting how polarizing the subject is.
 
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When cars hit the road for the first time there wasn't any speed limits, traffic lights, etc. With the number of consumer and commercial drones expected to be in the air in the next 10 years, some order will be needed.. and it will come at the expense of our flying freedom.

It's the Wild West right now, so enjoy your flying freedom while you can.. and then you can tell your grand kids "Back in my day I could just take off from my back yard and fly virtually unfettered!"
 
Yep...Saw two stories this morning about the 200foot rule being controlled by local entities...That would leave operators free to fly between 200-400ft. How that would effect takeoff and landing is yet to be seen..
 
Allowing local and state governments to set airspace rules that currently belong to the FAA will create a nightmare similar to the mess we have with gun laws from state to state. A legal gun owner from Pennsylvania steps into New Jersey legally carrying and goes to jail for 10 years. You won't be able to keep up with all of the laws.
 
Allowing local and state governments to set airspace rules that currently belong to the FAA will create a nightmare similar to the mess we have with gun laws from state to state. A legal gun owner from Pennsylvania steps into New Jersey legally carrying and goes to jail for 10 years. You won't be able to keep up with all of the laws.

I agree. As long as they keep it CLEARLY POSTED and push out notifications when changes to regulations change, Federal should govern all the regs. Regs need to change with tech over time and having multiple authorities will be like herding cats.
 
Every time I read crap like this, it makes me want to just pack up my drones and store them away in my Basement and say "screw this hobby". I was going to take one of them on my cruise in couple weeks, and now that i hear the latest news on mexico and also drones being Illegal in miami, ( i was going to film ships out in ocean day before my cruise). Might as well just leave it home now.. Not worth it anymore.. Always looking over your shoulder and trying to avoid people.. Just not worth it...

Plus.. I spent 150.00 on "RemotePilot101.com" for there 107 course and I took it and passed there test, just that I need to take the real test.. Even if I had the Licence then i would have to jump through all kinds of hoops just to fly legal such as keeping logs and flight data, and upkeep, monitoring the radio, notifiying the tower, just to much BS to go through to fly a RC copter.. Im not looking to fly to make money, Im just doing it for fun. But getting a Licence was just something "just to have" to say i did it.. Maybie I need to start a hobby with RC boats.. But then I will need to get a "Captians" licence.... After all.. I could send that RC craft under a NAVY Pier with a bomb... and they worry about drones... When does it all end????
 
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Sorry to hear your souring.

How about some of us who have been flying r/c aircraft for decades only to have this new wave of entitled folks (am being nice here) come along and screw things up for us?

Lumped into the same group of ‘pilots’ who just don’t have any common sense or respect for the dangers of wirelessly controlled Chinese toys flying anywhere they choose.
 

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