Just wanted to note that 250 g is 8.8 ounces, not 0.9 ounces
I will feel safe and secure with the knowledge that the drone looking in my bathroom window is registered with the federal government.
(In truth, I don’t hang out in droney circles; I have seen only one in the wild, filming an outdoor event.)
Fuck this.
Well, I feel safer. Anyone else?
Fuck this. It’s a bad regulation, and as such I will have to practice civil disobedience. Add this to the laws I shall continue to ignore.
So people are paranoid about a gun registry but not a drone registry? Slippery slope, people!
Go Cliven Bundy! Call the Promise Keepers! Cold stiff fingers!
The rules proposed last February weren’t really going to affect hobbyists at all. Something must have changed. Interestingly, the FAA was saying back then that they lacked the statutory authority to do what it sounds like they’re doing now:
See section III.B.6 in particular:
Proposed part 107 would not apply to model aircraft that satisfy all of the criteria specified in section 336 of Public Law 112–95. Section 336 of Public Law 112–95 defines a model aircraft as an ‘‘unmanned aircraft that is—
(1) capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere;
(2) flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft; and
(3) flown for hobby or recreational purposes.’’
Because section 336 of Public Law 112–95 defines a model aircraft as an ‘‘unmanned aircraft,’’ a model aircraft that weighs less than 55 pounds would fall into the definition of small UAS under this rule. However, Public Law 112–95 specifically prohibits the FAA from promulgating rules regarding model aircraft that meet all of the following statutory criteria: [emphasis mine]
•The aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use;
•The aircraft is operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization;
•The aircraft is limited to not more than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program administered by a community-based organization;
•The aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft; and
•When flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the aircraft provides the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation.
Because of the statutory prohibition on FAA rulemaking regarding model aircraft that meet the above criteria [emphasis mine], model aircraft meeting these criteria would not be subject to the provisions of proposed part 107.
The FAA having previously recognized a statutory limitation that they now seem inclined to ignore is going to make for some interesting legal challenges.
FAA can blow me and my drone. huh hmmm quad. i wont register my hobby coptor anymore than my firearm. sukit deadbeat U. SAM.
This article fails to address a question I have: can I buy a drone on the Boing Boing store?
goto amazon. save yourself the trouble.
Technically you aren’t registering you drones but rather registering yourself as a pilot. One registration covers as many drones as you care to own.
I’ll happily register my drone once they ask me to register the 12ga shotgun I own. Until then, catch me if you can.
If I mount a gun to my drone does that make the drone exempt from the registry?
That’s an oddly-phrased loophole.
Such as…the one I just made up and nominated myself to be the president of?
How are normal sane people supposed to follow the law when it’s written by lawyer-types who don’t even understand it themselves?!
In the sake of sanity and quality of life, the best course is often just doing what you want to do and hoping for the best.
Better than wasting away one’s life as a lawyer-wannabe or bureaucrat/wannabe,
The paperwork torrent it would make you puke
We’re tempted to blast there a tactical nuke
Unlike the mountains of paper to climb
The fallout radiation decays with time.
– from a song about Brussels/EU
It’s intended to refer to the AMA - in this case the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Of course, most people flying quad copters etc are using them as toys and do not join any sort of club. I guess one could argue that this provides the excuse to require registration for those people.
I say everyone should register. Everyone. Flood the registry. It’s stupid and free this month to everyone with a credit card.
If you read the actual regulation, it’s designed to cover commercial remotely piloted aircraft under 55 lbs for applications that can’t plausibly be described as recreational. For instance, suppose you manage a large piece of infrastructure such as an electrical transmission line, located in a rural area… It’s inefficient to inspect by helicopter, but a remote piloted aircraft might be very useful, as long as line of sight can be maintained.
I don’t know where commercial photography drones fit in now. Some people probably make quite a bit of money with their "hobby’.
Also, there seems to be quite a bit of concern about flying drones over persons not involved with the piloting of the aircraft.
First lines of the regulation
This rulemaking proposes operating requirements to allow small unmanned aircraft
systems (small UAS) to operate for non-hobby or non-recreational purposes. A small UAS consists of a small unmanned aircraft (which, as defined by statute, is an unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds3) and equipment necessary for the safe and efficient operation of that aircraft. The FAA has accommodated non-recreational small UAS use through various mechanisms, such as special airworthiness certificates, exemptions, and certificates of waiver or authorization (COA). This proposed rule would be the next phase of integrating small UAS into the NAS.
