Licensed pilots at risk if piloting drones.

[AuntPeggy]

Found this buried in a thread about RC airplanes:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngog...rgets-you-licensed-pilots-at-particular-risk/

However, certificated pilots beware, the FAA’s guidance has a footnote “a certificate holder should appreciate the potential for endangerment that operating a UAS contrary to the FAA’s safety regulations may cause. Accordingly, a violator’s status as a certificate holder is an aggravating factor that may warrant a civil penalty above the moderate range for a single, first-time, inadvertent violation.”

...

In addition, drone pilots who hold airmen certificates are at particular risk, especially if they fly manned aircraft for a living. According to the new guidance: “For a deliberate, egregious violation by a certificate holder, regardless of whether the certificate holder is exercising the privileges of the certificate in connection with the violations associated with a UAS operation, certificate action, may be appropriate.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Bear in mind, they are talking about people using UAS for commercial purposes. The few commercial uses that the FAA has graced us with the privilege of doing will require a PPL. So if you violate the rules with a UAS in your commercial endeavors, expect them to take certificate action like any other violation.

For hobby purposes, you're a model aircraft, and you do not need a PPL. Acting stupidly would likely not have any bearing on your PPL since it is unrelated. However, it certainly is not something I would wish to test.

Fortunately I am a responsible hobby user. So I'm not too worried.

 

[docmirror]

I will channel Cap Ron here and say that this certificate action has been enforced before when the operation was not a direct result of the applicability of the certificate holder. i.e. - someone with a PPL and comm rating is doing something in the NAS that does not involve the certificate rating such as 'flying' a UAS, and they have an incident, the certificate is in jeopardy, and they face fines above those typical for a civie doing the same thing, even though the rating wasn't being utilized at the time.

Fair? Prolly not, but nothing about the FAA has been fair for decades. sort of a 'you have a comm rating, and yet, you screwed up. You should have known better concerning the risks, and you gambled and lost, so neener-neener'.

 

[Henning]

Bear in mind, they are talking about people using UAS for commercial purposes. The few commercial uses that the FAA has graced us with the privilege of doing will require a PPL. So if you violate the rules with a UAS in your commercial endeavors, expect them to take certificate action like any other violation.

For hobby purposes, you're a model aircraft, and you do not need a PPL. Acting stupidly would likely not have any bearing on your PPL since it is unrelated. However, it certainly is not something I would wish to test.

Fortunately I am a responsible hobby user. So I'm not too worried.

From what I read, if You hold an Airman's Certificate and commit a violation with an RC aircraft, they will penalize your certificate.

 

[Corpsmaide]

Doesn't it say something about flying for a living.


Edit
I see the especially in there now

 

[frfly172]

Avwebs question of the week,should ppl be in jeopardy while flying UAS.