AMA and Multirotors

[combat chicken]

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/01/...vice-recovers-device-at-white-house/21134727/

Now he's a hobbyist

God help us!

 

[combat chicken]

NBC news reported that several lawmakers are demanding stiffer regulations on drones and drone usage...we've all seen this coming..some of the bureaucrats they interviewed made the comment that this drone could easily have been weaponized....

Yep. Heard a NYPD cop interviewed yesterday telling of his concerns of bombs and guns being mounted on these. The absurdity level of this is incredible!

 

[mndless]

I'm almost starting to think we NEED regulations and that they would be GOOD for people like us. Let's imagine, for a second, that we get some sane regulation and certifications. Let's imagine you'd have to pay 50 bucks and answer a few questions to get a "license". That wouldn't really hurt any of us in any serious way, but it would be enough of a barrier for the biggest morons and it would provide a framework for enforcement. A situation where morons fly quads around airports and the White House isn't sustainable.

Valid point... but, we know it will never end there. Once you open Pandora's box, no way to go back... new regulations every year. One stupid pilot event from more regulations and limitations.... In the USA, we have to beg the government for permission to fly an RC airplane... how the heck did we end up here...

 

[sweetpea]

Then you'll say I need regulations for free flight, paper airplanes.....jumping to high in the air.

It doesn't stop with the Gov't on regulations!

 

[SleepyC]

I think it's pretty simple.

Separate hobby and Commercial and do the same for the equipment.

FPV:
Hobby GRADE FPV. .5W max (or what ever allows around a range of 750 feet.)
750 feet is fine for most FPV racing and "hobby interests"
Anything above that rating would need a commercial license. People caught using "non hobby" grade FPV equipment without a license face a hefty fine. (hence the morons causing issues in cities and such)

Commercial Grade FPV:
Distance/wattage to be assessed.
License required, and insurance requiered.

Multirotors:
Hobby Grade Multi's:
>2lbs AUW - no license.. unregulated except the normal hobby FAA/Common Sense rules.

Commercial Grade Multi's
<2 lbs - 55lbs
License required, and insurance requiered.

Over 55lbs needs to be specially approved by FAA.

 

[njswede]

Valid point... but, we know it will never end there. Once you open Pandora's box, no way to go back... new regulations every year. One stupid pilot event from more regulations and limitations.... In the USA, we have to beg the government for permission to fly an RC airplane... how the heck did we end up here...

I can tell you how we ended up there: We went from RC aircraft being a technology that was only accessible to a small group of enthusiasts with enough time, money and skills on their hands to something that's accessible to anyone with a couple of hundred bucks in their pocket. I think we need to stop blaming the government/law enforcement and start looking at the idiots who fly these so-called "drones". Wanting to regulate something that's potentially dangerous is a natural reaction of any government. (Flame retardant suit on... )

 

[combat chicken]

I think it's pretty simple.

Separate hobby and Commercial and do the same for the equipment.

FPV:
Hobby GRADE FPV. .5W max (or what ever allows around a range of 750 feet.)
750 feet is fine for most FPV racing and "hobby interests"
Anything above that rating would need a commercial license. People caught using "non hobby" grade FPV equipment without a license face a hefty fine. (hence the morons causing issues in cities and such)

Commercial Grade FPV:
Distance/wattage to be assessed.
License required, and insurance requiered.

Multirotors:
Hobby Grade Multi's:
>2lbs AUW - no license.. unregulated except the normal hobby FAA/Common Sense rules.

Commercial Grade Multi's
<2 lbs - 55lbs
License required, and insurance requiered.

Over 55lbs needs to be specially approved by FAA.

This seems like a reasonable approach. Similar to the differences between a private pilots license and a commercial rated pilot. AMA clubs/events would be the private pilot equivalent with commercial use of a Multi being the commercial rated side. At least I hope it would be that simple!
Of course flying a foamy or multi in your backyard and back yard only should not fall under any regulation, in my opinion.

 

[Mark Harper]

Yep. Heard a NYPD cop interviewed yesterday telling of his concerns of bombs and guns being mounted on these. The absurdity level of this is incredible!

Then you sure don't want him to see this!

 

[combat chicken]

I can tell you how we ended up there: We went from RC aircraft being a technology that was only accessible to a small group of enthusiasts with enough time, money and skills on their hands to something that's accessible to anyone with a couple of hundred bucks in their pocket. I think we need to stop blaming the government/law enforcement and start looking at the idiots who fly these so-called "drones". Wanting to regulate something that's potentially dangerous is a natural reaction of any government. (Flame retardant suit on... )

No need for flame retardant. We are all friends here.
But my opinion is somewhat different. As an individual who has worked in government for 30 years I know that government typically reacts to crisis's with more regulation, even if the crisis is perceived but not real. We only have to see NYC's response to the so called blizzard of 6 inches of snow, where a crisis was created shutting down a city costing millions in commerce then later saying they dodged a bullet. It appears they dodged into the bullet! The same applies to the "drone" issue in which an article, I forget who published it but was on the AMA web site, talked about the FAA labeling all drone sightings as incidents. The word "incident" is a very strong word. The article said an incident could be some one seeing a drone flying in a field somewhere and reported to the FAA. Drive by my clubs flying field on any given weekend you will see lots of "drones" flying. Almost all fixed wing, but an individual not experienced in the hobby reports such and the FAA puts in a report. The gist of the article was that a vast, vast majority of "incidents" were just reports in which no danger was present.
The 24 hour news cycle drools over this stuff, so most of the panic is driven by those sensationalized news stories.

 

[combat chicken]

Then you sure don't want him to see this!

Yep. Seen it. Much more concerned about the person eating, using a cell phone or otherwise distract, while driving, heading toward me than "hunter killer" drones.
By the way the guy posting this video should be admonished for doing this and posting it. Peer pressure sometimes works.