The Coming Death of the Drone Hobby

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I remember when the little quad copters first came out. Yes we called them quad copters back then. Quad meaning four motors and they flew like a helicopter. Unlike our model aircraft they could fly in the house and all over the place. Then they put cameras on them, better stability and up to the present day, able to fly great distances.
The turmoil all started when a lady in her fenced back yard, sun bathing nude spotted a little drone flying by. omg she said to her husband what is that? "Just a little drone my dear and they have cameras on them now I hear." That started it all.
The rumors started to fly. Drones hitting aircraft. Drones spying on their neighbors. Only sick perv people fly drones. Regulate them out of the sky!
Greedy governments around the world jumped on the wagon. They spotted a chance to make an extra buck with all kinds of fees, and tests and anything else they could think of to make money. They hired hundreds of people to police the land. Because government, unlike business people knows nothing about running a business. All government knows is politics and they usually mess that up but then they have the tax payer to bail them out.

Most hobbyists I know, like me, over the years have supported the hobby, into the thousands of dollars with some beautiful Drones as they now call them. Our hobby has inspired many businesses to start up. Starting up a business is not easy. But alas, regulators around the world, in their greed, are already killing sales, and people are now struggling to keep their businesses going. Good old DJI has made a little quad copter under this 250 gram limit which has kept the hobby going for a little bit longer, but government will soon change that for no other reason but to steal more from the people.

I see people on line trying hard to save the hobby, and praise them for the effort. But it will not work, because it is the business people and the buyers who keep the hobby going as in any venture. There is only one way to possibly save our hobby. I said hobby, because the Commercial business of drones will stay untouched because the lady knows if they fly over her back yard pool, they will be too busy to look down and too high no one will care anyway. Why don't they just ban bathing or sunning nude in your back yard? hmmmm. The inspectors would have a ball ha ha tongue in cheek.

Just don't fly your drones any more. Lets say for a year. What would happen. If you don't fly there is no reason to register. Business is going to close because of no new sales. The greedy regulators who have spent millions maybe billions in preparation, are going to have to shut down. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the rest of the story.

Maybe after a year or so of flying your stuff in the basement. Looking at your investment every day. Hugging it a little bit maybe. Just maybe things will change. Attitudes might change. The lady in her back yard will be to old and wrinkled to bath nude any more. lol. The greedy regulators may think twice about starting up again. I know this is wish full thinking but there may be enough people who will keep the regulators going just because people are hard to convince overall. Our hobby will probably die unless they come out with a drone the size of a fly that can go miles and miles using FPV. As the old expression says, "Out of sight out of mind."
 
Well said Ken. I just wanted to get that out there before this thread got deleted like your previous post in the other thread.
 
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awww thanks .. i deleted the other one myself.. it just didn't go along with the topic the other fellow started..anyway thanks for your kind consideration..
 
Uuummmm I'll put a cam on me t,rex and still buzz around but cant see drones dying out,yes scary thought though, they would have to introduce a buy back sceme of sorts if they want my drones
 
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awww thanks .. i deleted the other one myself.. it just didn't go along with the topic the other fellow started..anyway thanks for your kind consideration..
Thanks for clarifying you deleted that yourself as lots of members think staff deletes what we please and that’s not true. ?
 
Much of the problem is self inflicted! YouTube is awash with examples of drone stupidity - flying miles away, over people, or dangerously high. Unless the drone community self regulates and shuns the idiot pilots, governments will have to legislate to protect citizens and other air users. Perhaps we need less self-righteous indignation and more professionalism, even when we just fly for fun.
 
Much of the problem is self inflicted! YouTube is awash with examples of drone stupidity - flying miles away, over people, or dangerously high. Unless the drone community self regulates and shuns the idiot pilots, governments will have to legislate to protect citizens and other air users. Perhaps we need less self-righteous indignation and more professionalism, even when we just fly for fun.

Well stated. One of the most intelligent posts on this subject to day.
 
Well stated. One of the most intelligent posts on this subject to day.
I have to agree. Regulation in our national airspace does not exist to drive or kill sales, to have more government jobs, or to satisfy conspiracy theorists that the government is out to get them. It exists to ensure public safety to that greatest degree possible. Period.
 
Excellent article, Ken.

IMHO the barn gate's been left open and there's no stopping drones now. I agree that industry and business interests have taken the lead in monetizing our hobby (perhaps to our determent). However, this also has brought about massive improvements in the gear that we all fly. I can easily remember buying my first Phantom in April of 2013 (less than 7 years ago). If I knew of what my Phantom 4 Pro + could do back in 2013, I would have considered that science fiction. Now, look where we are and what these rigs can do.

As to the recent FAA proposals, I agree that if any of these proposals are made law it will affect our hobby-not just multirotors, but planes and helicopters as well. None of us will be immune. All we can hope for, and fight for, are the closest to "common sense" regulations that are possible in this day and time.

Personally, I am all for safety in the skies. The thought of some idiot sending a drone up and interfering with a commercial flight of any kind is scary. As another member pointed out, there are plenty of examples of this stupidity on YouTube.

Personally, I see no need to be flying miniwhoop 500 feet up or going out miles from one's home base. And I also don't believe that machines at or below 250 grams need to be registered.

Larger, commercial drones? That's different. Perhaps all new drones built and sold past a specific date need to have that technology inside (I'm thinking of the DJI Phantom and similar models made by others and sold commercially). To arbitrarily obsolete existing machines for the sake of a location sending requirement is wrong. There are millions of dollars invested in existing hardware that's existed with commercial aviation for a long time now.

And, if someone wanted to build their own drone using commercially available parts, they should be able to do so without the onerous requirement of sending data to a third party. Folks working in their basements, experimenting and tweaking is how we've gotten to the level of sophistication we now see in 2020.

This is my two cents' worth. Your mileage may vary.

But however you feel, you have an obligation to let the FAA know your thoughts. If you didn't bother expressing your opinion, and things get changed in a way you don't like, too bad. I intend to file my comments this week.

Fred Morton
Oklahoma City
 
Excellent article, Ken.

IMHO the barn gate's been left open and there's no stopping drones now. I agree that industry and business interests have taken the lead in monetizing our hobby (perhaps to our determent). However, this also has brought about massive improvements in the gear that we all fly. I can easily remember buying my first Phantom in April of 2013 (less than 7 years ago). If I knew of what my Phantom 4 Pro + could do back in 2013, I would have considered that science fiction. Now, look where we are and what these rigs can do.

As to the recent FAA proposals, I agree that if any of these proposals are made law it will affect our hobby-not just multirotors, but planes and helicopters as well. None of us will be immune. All we can hope for, and fight for, are the closest to "common sense" regulations that are possible in this day and time.

Personally, I am all for safety in the skies. The thought of some idiot sending a drone up and interfering with a commercial flight of any kind is scary. As another member pointed out, there are plenty of examples of this stupidity on YouTube.

Personally, I see no need to be flying miniwhoop 500 feet up or going out miles from one's home base. And I also don't believe that machines at or below 250 grams need to be registered.

Larger, commercial drones? That's different. Perhaps all new drones built and sold past a specific date need to have that technology inside (I'm thinking of the DJI Phantom and similar models made by others and sold commercially). To arbitrarily obsolete existing machines for the sake of a location sending requirement is wrong. There are millions of dollars invested in existing hardware that's existed with commercial aviation for a long time now.

And, if someone wanted to build their own drone using commercially available parts, they should be able to do so without the onerous requirement of sending data to a third party. Folks working in their basements, experimenting and tweaking is how we've gotten to the level of sophistication we now see in 2020.

This is my two cents' worth. Your mileage may vary.

But however you feel, you have an obligation to let the FAA know your thoughts. If you didn't bother expressing your opinion, and things get changed in a way you don't like, too bad. I intend to file my comments this week.

Fred Morton
Oklahoma City
Well said.
 
I was out the other day and came across 4 guys , mid 40s flying but couldn't see any aircraft in sight. I got out of my car and looked around... still couldn't hear nor see any aircraft. Curiosity got the best of me so I approached and asked if they minded if I watch. One guy asked if I was a cop to which In replied truthfully... no but I was a drone flyer myself. I asked where their drones were as I couldn't see the nor hear them. One invited me over to see his monitor screen... 5,800 feet away at 796 feet altitude and I couild see a local airport on the screen! Foolish me just had to mention line of sight and their altitude. You would think after the glares I received I would have stopped........ but no.... I then asked if their drones were FAA registered? I was told to ( Mod Removed) off" So I left. Called the airport a mile away and informed them. This is a perfect example of why new rules and regulations are coming. The actions of a few affect the fun of the many...
 
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I was out the other day and came across 4 guys , mid 40s flying but couldn't see any aircraft in sight. I got out of my car and looked around... still couldn't hear nor see any aircraft. Curiosity got the best of me so I approached and asked if they minded if I watch. One guy asked if I was a cop to which In replied truthfully... no but I was a drone flyer myself. I asked where their drones were as I couldn't see the nor hear them. One invited me over to see his monitor screen... 5,800 feet away at 796 feet altitude and I couild see a local airport on the screen! Foolish me just had to mention line of sight and their altitude. You would think after the glares I received I would have stopped........ but no.... I then asked if their drones were FAA registered? I was told to ( Mod Removed)off" So I left. Called the airport a mile away and informed them. This is a perfect example of why new rules and regulations are coming. The actions of a few affect the fun of the many...
Glad you called the airport just wish someone from FAA would have caught them I would not think twice about calling authorities on them this kind of stuff has to stop
 
Unfortunately when something (anything) become very popular the government is going to find a way to tax and/or regulate it. Primary reasons they use is
1: Children well being
2: Public Safety Concerns.

Politicians have never seen a tax they didn’t like. If they could tax air, they would. Government are taxing up to 60% of every penny we make, and then tax everything left to some degree. It’s all about generating money. ( Comment Removed By Moderator) More to the point, most regulators and politicians could care less about our safety, well being or happiness. They are too busy trying to protect their jobs, get re-elected and pad their own pockets. How do I know? I have held elected offices and sat in meetings that virtually confirms my opinion and when I objected to things not in the best interests of the public I was label as someone who didn’t want to play ball. I’m telling you folks, it isn’t about public safety or benefiting the public! It’s about money, plain and simply put!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Much of the problem is self inflicted! YouTube is awash with examples of drone stupidity - flying miles away, over people, or dangerously high. Unless the drone community self regulates and shuns the idiot pilots, governments will have to legislate to protect citizens and other air users. Perhaps we need less self-righteous indignation and more professionalism, even when we just fly for fun.
You missed the point. Rules are great we need them for butt heads like you mentioned. We don't need the fees that go with every quad copter. Every town and city has its own authorities to check for infractions. Like one reader said, governments of all stripes are quick to empire build in the name of safety, making money off its citizens.
 
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I was out the other day and came across 4 guys , mid 40s flying but couldn't see any aircraft in sight. I got out of my car and looked around... still couldn't hear nor see any aircraft. Curiosity got the best of me so I approached and asked if they minded if I watch. One guy asked if I was a cop to which In replied truthfully... no but I was a drone flyer myself. I asked where their drones were as I couldn't see the nor hear them. One invited me over to see his monitor screen... 5,800 feet away at 796 feet altitude and I couild see a local airport on the screen! Foolish me just had to mention line of sight and their altitude. You would think after the glares I received I would have stopped........ but no.... I then asked if their drones were FAA registered? I was told to ( Mod Removed) off" So I left. Called the airport a mile away and informed them. This is a perfect example of why new rules and regulations are coming. The actions of a few affect the fun of the many...
You missed the point of the article. Rules are fine, we need rules for just those people you mentioned. Let the authorities we already have like the police fine them. These authorities are already being paid. We don't need all these fees for some organization who has set up their own money making empire.
 
Unfortunately when something (anything) become very popular the government is going to find a way to tax and/or regulate it. Primary reasons they use is
1: Children well being
2: Public Safety Concerns.

Politicians have never seen a tax they didn’t like. If they could tax air, they would. Government are taxing up to 60% of every penny we make, and then tax everything left to some degree. It’s all about generating money. ( Comment Removed By Moderator) More to the point, most regulators and politicians could care less about our safety, well being or happiness. They are too busy trying to protect their jobs, get re-elected and pad their own pockets. How do I know? I have held elected offices and sat in meetings that virtually confirms my opinion and when I objected to things not in the best interests of the public I was label as someone who didn’t want to play ball. I’m telling you folks, it isn’t about public safety or benefiting the public! It’s about money, plain and simply put!
You are right. We already have police services etc to take care of the fools. My article was concerned about organizations setting them selves up to make money as you said, with all these fees they put on each drone you purchase.
 
I was out the other day and came across 4 guys , mid 40s flying but couldn't see any aircraft in sight. I got out of my car and looked around... still couldn't hear nor see any aircraft. Curiosity got the best of me so I approached and asked if they minded if I watch. One guy asked if I was a cop to which In replied truthfully... no but I was a drone flyer myself. I asked where their drones were as I couldn't see the nor hear them. One invited me over to see his monitor screen... 5,800 feet away at 796 feet altitude and I couild see a local airport on the screen! Foolish me just had to mention line of sight and their altitude. You would think after the glares I received I would have stopped........ but no.... I then asked if their drones were FAA registered? I was told to ( Mod Removed) off" So I left. Called the airport a mile away and informed them. This is a perfect example of why new rules and regulations are coming. The actions of a few affect the fun of the many...
You did the wrong thing. You called the airport. Did you have the co-ordinates of their drones? Are you sure they were in the airport boundaries? Do you have the authority to ask if they are licensed? What you should have done is call the cops, who have the authority to find out if they were actually breaking the law and who have the authority to fine them. All you succeeded in doing was giving all of us and the hobby a bad name.
 
Much of the problem is self inflicted! YouTube is awash with examples of drone stupidity - flying miles away, over people, or dangerously high. Unless the drone community self regulates and shuns the idiot pilots, governments will have to legislate to protect citizens and other air users. Perhaps we need less self-righteous indignation and more professionalism, even when we just fly for fun.
You are right. Rules and regulations are needed, but what my article was saying is that we dont need some outfit making money off registration fees of everything thinkable. We have all kinds of law officials in every town and city who can check on safety as they do with everything else.
 
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The FAA puts all these rule and regulations in place but, no one enforces them. All they have to do is go on you tube and stat punishing the violators with fines. Then maybe they wouldn't have to charge those who obey the rules the ridiculous fees.
 
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