DOT Will Require ALL Hobby Drones to be Registered

[Phoenix]

This is security theatre with the script flipped. Instead of protecting people from planes we are (pretending to)protecting planes from people. Sad how many of you fell for it. We should just hand over authority of everything that flies to the TSA. Problem solved.

 

[Lindberg]

My thoughts exactly. The problem lies with risk. When a little toy hits your plane and you crash and burn in the field there is no equal risk to the UAV operator. They can walk away and say, "That gosh darn airplane broke my $400 toy. Why were they up there at 1000 feet above me?"

How does the proposed regulation address that issue?

 

[Palmpilot]

According to the AMA document quoted above, the deadline for the task force to create these requirements is less than four weeks away. I can't help thinking that such hasty rule making will have a certain "bull in a china shop" aspect to it, if it's even possible to come up with something that fast.

 

[taters]

Ever since I almost ate one of these things through the right engine at 4000 over the hudson Drones have ....ed me off

 

[Velocity173]

I could care less about the small things that stay outside of airspace used by manned aircraft. The problems come where drones are showing up at pattern altitude or higher, especially in or near airports. We are licensed pilots, and part of our responsibility is to see and avoid. That works best when both parties are seeing and avoiding. I think that's not really possible with drones, and it won't be long before an airliner or GA aircraft injests or collides with one, with a possible loss of life.

I agree with above except I would modify to say stay out of airspace where manned aircraft fly while manned aircraft are actually in it. The AC states that within 5 miles of an airport you must have airport manger approval to operate an aircraft. There's a local field in my area where they fly RC aircraft at the airport. Airport manager flys them as well. As long as they remain clear of any manned aircraft, they're good. Listen to CTAF, have a spotter and use common sense. They shouldn't fly above 400 ft but none of that is regulatory either.

The problem lies with those who have no common sense because they are unaware of the law or the AC derived from it, or they are intentionally trying to get near manned aircraft. I had a close call with a quadcopter about a year ago around 530 ft AGL. No way that guy didn't hear a B407 coming from miles away. He kept it there because he wanted to get a good view of a helicopter. Since I was close enough to make out the camera on the belly, I'm sure he got a good one.

 

[docmirror]

I had a close call with a quadcopter about a year ago around 530 ft AGL. No way that guy didn't hear a B407 coming from miles away. He kept it there because he wanted to get a good view of a helicopter. Since I was close enough to make out the camera on the belly, I'm sure he got a good one.

Wondering what happens if/when you hit a quadcopter of moderate size, say - 2-3Kg with the leading blade while the aircraft is going +90Kts? Blades are not flimsy, but neither are they that robust outside of mil equipment. Would be an interesting experiment, but I would surely want a chute, and plenty of altitude.

 

[F01LA]

Ever since I almost ate one of these things through the right engine at 4000 over the hudson Drones have ....ed me off

Was this a fixed wing? Quadcopter? Or something else?

 

[Velocity173]

Wondering what happens if/when you hit a quadcopter of moderate size, say - 2-3Kg with the leading blade while the aircraft is going +90Kts? Blades are not flimsy, but neither are they that robust outside of mil equipment. Would be an interesting experiment, but I would surely want a chute, and plenty of altitude.

Well, the tip of the blade is going just shy of 450 kts. I'm doing around 130 kts indicated. Combined speed of that advancing blade 580 kts ish. It turns a bird into a puff of feathers and blood but somehow I don't think metal and plastic will fair as well. Gonna be damage.

 

[overdrive148]

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - A drone carrying mobile phones, drugs, hacksaw blades and other material dangling in a bundle from a fishing line crashed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester before inmates could grab the contraband, prison officials said on Tuesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/drone-carrying-drugs-hacksaw-blades-crashes-oklahoma-prison-150332079.html

 

[jbarrass]

The rules are published here.

They are not registering drones, they are registering owners.

Minimum age is 13 for device size over 250 grams. No details on whether the weight limit is with fuel/batteries/etc.

You upload your name and address at time of registration to the yet-to-be-developed website or app and receive an owner number.

If your device has a serial number and you voluntarily upload it, no marking is required on the device. Otherwise you have to legibly write your owner number on the device somewhere.

No limit on the number of devices per owner number.

 

[Palmpilot]

Thanks for the link. By the way, it says "recommendations," so it's just a proposal at this point.

Based on your summary, it sounds like a reasonable approach to providing traceability if something goes wrong, without creating an unworkable burden.