Uncertified Rogue Commercial Drone Operators

SNIP

Even in, (or especially) in real estate (I have both a part 107 cert and state RE sales license btw), should licensure matter. There is no other industry filled with as incompetent and lazy people as you find in RE. And these are the licensed ones…imagine the alternative. I read the plumber/HVAC/electrician argument here and talk about it more than I care to. I know you can point out how many unlicensed people do the work and it’s just “part of the business.” I replaced a light that time or installed that toilet too. Lol. No **** it’s not hard. It’s about time, experience and having baseline knowledge when operating for consumers.

SNIP

I know in my 25+ years in my industry, (HA-HVAC/R) it's a waste of time reporting unlicensed/ license-borrowing contractors here in Maryland. You'll just get caught up in an endless game of "whack a mole".

Call it what you like, weak minded/willed, but I decided long ago to focus my energy on my job and responsibilities, not the other clowns around me.

Good luck.
 
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I know in my 25+ years in my industry, (HA-HVAC/R) it's a waste of time reporting unlicensed/ license-borrowing contractors here in Maryland. You'll just get caught up in an endless game of "whack a mole".

Call it what you like, weak minded/willed, but I decided long ago to focus my energy on my job and responsibilities, not the other clowns around me.

Good luck.

Well it's a shame that you could've done a better job for customers than they got from some hack(s). My point is that those people make industries worse for all professionals and consumers alike. Oh well.
 
There are no laws written by congress regarding private use of small uav's. Therefore, the faa can't write rules based on laws that don't exist. Yes there's a small risk associated with using a phantom. It has the potential to cause damage. if it fell out of the sky it could hurt someone, but not kill them. Theres danger involved in whacking a baseball with a baseball bat too. Should the government regulate that too? And as far as phantoms being a danger to passenger aircrafts. That can be fixed easily with a built in governor in the firmware limiting the altitude to a safe level, below passenger crafts. No need to get the government involved.

...and golf courses...especially those with a hole running right alongside a highway - a bad tee shot could easily strike a vehicle on the highway and cause a multi-car pile-up which includes fatalities. So let's force golf courses to build impenetrable fences alongside highways - tall enough and long enough to ensure 100% that golf balls will not leave the property...

...and what about people yeah live in apartment buildings on the 15th floor or higher? An ashtray, or beer bottle or other accidentally dropped object could land on a person or in a stroller and cause a death... So lets ban balconies and "windows that open" on buildings with more than 12 stories....or better yet, let's just ban tall building altogether!

When governments and insurance companies evaluate risk - they don't fixate on the worst possible outcome of a situation. They acknowledge it or course - but they don't generally launch fear mongering campaigns using the worst case scenarios. They look at the most LIKELY outcome possible, the risk of a bad outcome occurring and the damages that that risk would create - for example - a drone falling out of the sky has the risk of killing someone - maybe 2 people. The worst cause scenario of allowing someone to drink and smoke in a hotel room is far greater than flying a drone over a small group of people. If an intoxicated hotel guest passes out with a lit cigarette - the entire building could catch fire and cost MANY lives.... yet this is not something that agencies are scrambling to write laws against!

The truth is - if a drone and passenger aircraft were to collide - in the vast majority of possible collision profiles, the drone would be destroyed and the passenger plane would carry on unaffected. Yeah, yeah - but what if the drone got sucked through a turbofan??? And you're right! That would cause the loss of an engine - and probably a crash! But the odds of that exact type of collision are incredibly low.

This is where the term "acceptable risk" comes from. There is a risk - and a worse case scenario with almost everything in life. And since we can't ban everything - we work to reduce risk wherever possible - all the while knowing that nothing we can do can eliminate the risk completely.

To be honest though - this message kind of got away from me and I no longer remember whatever point I had originally wanted to make - but whatevs. I'm going to post it anyhow. I know I was in agreement with Stargazer1. It was probably something to the effect of "stop the fear mongering". lol. Sorry!


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Watching from the land down under.....
Where women grown and drones plund.....
oh wait a minute that's not how it's goes.....

Sorry for the SOH

Seriously though are there any Aussies that care to chime in?

My thought bubbles for the time being

The law and subsequent enforcement folks are usually slow to catch up to emerging technologies (heck 'they' haven't managed the Web very well for just one example say copy right laws) and it sounds like the US is progressing down a certain path that I assume we would (logically) follow.

That's to say, with the the flood of drones for various applications from the hobbyist, to the professional photographer or even the GOVT themselves, the market will need to be regulated.

We often cry fowl of regulation or the 'nanny state' but the sheer volume of numbers of drones we will see into the future means the general public will seek the GOVT to protect them and while Australia appears to be a little more relaxed regarding the Sub 2kg market for now, it won't take too many 'incidents' for things to tighten up significantly and promptly.

Therefore those that wish to continue will require insurance, certification and so forth which may push the hobbyist market down somewhat but again, having the laws (appropriate certification and approvals) is one thing but enforcing said laws is much harder.

Clearly there are many avenues these days for one to perhaps push the boundary laws/regulations or not but I don't think we are ALL far off seeing some serious changes in this area over the next few years and beyond regardless of which country you live in. Is it a bad thing? I don't think so particularly when you take into account just how busy the UAV market will get in the following years - pizza deliveries really? Lol

I had a much longer post however am keen to hear from some Aussies on the matter
 
Exactly and they are very MORAL in many ways but they don't mind doing OUR jobs with no license. It's an uphill battle almost every day. Luckily the Realtor market isn't one to build a business model from because they are cheap and want it all for free. LOL
amen to that, realtors for the most part are too cheap to ever go the extra mile for quality. I have lots of experience working with that industry.
 
Not sure if this has been discussed. I went to a lot of time and trouble - plus $150 testing fee - to get my Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate to be in the good graces of the FAA. I studied my butt off and made a 95% on the General Knowledge Test. Like many here, I intend to use Aerial video/photo services to supplement my income. That said, I did not anticipate the large number of rogue drone operators I would encounter who represent themselves as legitimate when in fact they are not, and lack the proper FAA certification (Section 333 Exemption or Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate). I don't mind competition from other certified aerial businesses, but when these rogue operators begin to saturate the market and hi-jack potential opportunities, I take exception to it.

I am simply shocked at how many so called "Commercial Operators" are out there representing themselves as being in compliance with FAA regulations concerning the commercial operation of a drone (under 55 pounds). I would even go so far as to call it borderline epidemic. Most are listed on Craigslist and are not shy about stating that they are engaged in for-hire commercial drone activities, even to the extent of publishing their rates.

I quizzed 5 of them by email and simply asked each if they held either a Section 333 Exemption or a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Out of the five I contacted, none (zero) had the proper certification. It was amazing to see how they convinced themselves that they were certified. One operator sent copies of his drone registration. When I asked him again if he had a 333 or 107, he made a vague reference to the Section 333 process, stating "Those have been delayed and still processings nationwide thats why we hold our active certificate til petitions are granted." Not sure what he meant by "... active certificate".

Another operator justified his activities by stating, "If your asking do I have the right to properly do business. My answer is, yes. This is a side job for me. If your upset about my prices I have set, you can look up the laws in regarding that." I don't recall the FAA making any exceptions for "side jobs".

I guess I'm just frustrated that this many people are circumventing the regulations - either intentionally or by honest misinterpretations. What makes matters worse is that more often than not, potential clients are clueless about the regulations for commercial operators. This, together with the FAA being overwhelmed by new pilots - both hobbyists and commercial - just makes matters worse.

So I'm throwing this out there to see if any of the Certified commercial operators on this board are finding the same situation in your neck of the woods. I'm also interested in suggestions on how these rogue practices can be put in check.

Thanks in advance.....


Did you do your testing online or at an aviation school?

Dan
 
I am 107 certified and a licensed auctioneer in Georgia. I will drop a dime on unlicensed people in a heartbeat.

Go out and start selling used cars without joining the "club". I sold one jeep at one of my auctions and the owner of the local auto auction "dropped by" to say hello.

Let a real estate agent or an insurance agent hear about you honing in on their business without proper licensing and see if they let it slide.

When we all start reporting violators, using the faa tip hotline and educating consumers it will make a difference

Report violators immediately, every single time.
 

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