Hello Fellow Yuneec Pilot!
Join our free Yuneec community and remove this annoying banner!
Sign up

A CALL TO ARMS!! Speak Out NOW on Drone Regulations!!

Hello, all. Forum moderator Rayray posted an article yesterday that EVERYONE needs to read and be aware of. His post, titled "Current State Drone Regulations...," is important reading for each of us.

In a nutshell, the States of Montana and Oklahoma - both of them low-populated, large "Big Sky Country" States - are poised to enact State legislation that all but abolish drone piloting in their airspaces, or else seriously curtails those rights afforded us by the FAA just last year. Personally, I believe it is way beyond time that each of us takes this ongoing assault against our rights seriously and to heart. We cannot just wait for others to fight our fight for us or leave it strictly in the hands of commercial-drone interests and their related lobbyist groups, as the average drone pilot that is out there quietly doing his or her own thing is NOT represented by them and therefore our voices are poorly considered and represented in this matter.
.

Sorry, forgot to ask, to you have a link to any proposed legislation on drones for Okla?

Here is the link to the original you mentioned:
The Current State of Drone Regulations, FAA Rules, and What's Coming Soon for Aerial Videographers

Thanks in advance,

Hippy
 
Drones differ from traditional RC craft in their relatively quiet operation (airplanes and helicopters sound more like the real thing, only smaller), and most importantly their cameras. While some have managed to fit cameras to their planes and choppers, drones are the only ones that are designed to be "flying cameras".

The FAA already distinguishes between non-model-aircraft, and drones are in this classification.
Whether or not they required registration for craft of a certain size and functionality before drones came about is inconsequential. Without laws, there is chaos. This is historical fact, especially in America. Humans in general cannot be trusted en masse to "do the right thang", on either side of any given issue.

Consider the instances of some perv with a flying camera taking shots of people without their permission, whether it's teenage girls tanning in the back yard behind a privacy fence or a legally-operated nudist colony hidden from lateral view by similar means, or even to track the comings and goings of strangers. It makes no difference that these types of people are the few bad apples amongst the orchard of good apples. They make the headlines to validate the blanket statement that "flying cameras are bad".

Solely in the hands of the U.S. Government and their agencies, flying cameras are bad. In the hands of anti-government agents, flying cameras are bad. In the hands of pedophiles and burglars, flying cameras are bad. In the hands of surveyors, search and rescue, filmmakers, construction and demolition units, civilian-monitored law enforcement, and the average enthusiast, flying cameras are good.

This is no different from any other type of camera system in those regards. You privacy can be invaded with thermal cameras controlled by law enforcement or government, or by some perv who wants to see if you and your partner are having sex behind closed doors. Most people buy a camera to take photos and videos of their families, not of other people and their private matters.

The FAA has to regulate airspace to some degree, otherwise we'd have anyone with the capability flying just wherever they chose.
Flying cars for the masses ala The Jetsons will never happen for this very reason. Commercial aircraft have to follow paths that are similar to rail lines and ground vehicle roads, just to keep things orderly, and to give military, law enforcement, and EMS aircraft the larger right-of-way.

Regarding the OP's specific concern of Montana, that's cattle country, and buzzing a herd will cause a stampede, which is a massive public safety hazard. Personal beefs with beef and dairy don't enter into it and do not grant anyone a right to frenzy a herd. It's illegal, and in Montana, will probably get you shot, and rightfully so.

Oklahoma has a fair amount of missile silos for national defense. The exact locations of these silos is a matter of national security. It's one thing to say "Me and Tommy was hiking through a field and ran across this huge metal plate about 10 miles East of Fishville", but when you pinpoint it with a GPS-located drone, you've committed treason, which is still a hanging offense.

I'm all for individual freedom, but there are a great many other regulated activities and their related hardware that have been abused by a minority, from guns to wireless microphones to motor vehicles to printing presses to convection ovens. This is no different.

However, with the availability of high-resolution cameras, the Average Joe can make a few bucks on the side doing aerial photography, and I can see where commercial ventures might wrongly feel the need to open their mouths about it. In their view, they've got a business with all the taxes and insurance and liability, and they can be beaten out by "some guy on his day off" doing $30/hr aerial work for free.
Given the size of the town and the business in question, if they're on the City Council and in the Chamber of Commerce, they can cry to their cronies about it and get some sort of local ordinance against civilian dronership.

This is an issue with just as many pros as cons, and a knee-jerk "Call Your Congressman!" response isn't going to get it done. Both sides of the table have as much ammunition, and the anti-party might have more thanks to the idiots who use drones to violate privacy (and are not wearing a U.S. Military or law enforcement insignia), but round-table discussions would provide a more amicable resolution.
 
  • Like
Reactions: YuKay
I totally agree and strongly encourage all to join AMA both for the insurance membership offers and the National voice. Drone pilots are not the only ones threatened as fixed wing pilots are caught in the middle with our 50 plus years of modeling threatened.

Please support the movement. Academy of Model Aeronautics
 
As for traditional modelers frowning on droners, that is an ignorant Puritanical mindset, and I personally would not feel any sense of pride to count myself among them. They may have the longer-running Political Action group, but if push came to shove, they'd vote droners under the bus in exchange for less regulation on their personal choice of craft.

As for joining established groups that focus on traditional craft in general, I disagree. Drones differ significantly from aeroplanes and helicopters, in that their primary function is that of a flying camera, so special considerations (and regulations) follow logically. Gimping traditional birds will not fly in those circles, and stifling the photographic freedom of droners under blanket legislation that should only apply to traditional aircraft will not fly with droners. We have no need of runways and control towers and flight plans and launch sequences. We're up, up, and away in seconds, with a completely vertical ascent. Only choppers can match that, but they've already chained themselves to the regulations of the Wright Brothers concept. If droners jump in that boat, we could lose more than we gain.
 
Oklahoma has a fair amount of missile silos for national defense. The exact locations of these silos is a matter of national security. It's one thing to say "Me and Tommy was hiking through a field and ran across this huge metal plate about 10 miles East of Fishville", but when you pinpoint it with a GPS-located drone, you've committed treason, which is still a hanging offense.

Baloney.
 
Hello, all. Rayray posted an article yesterday that EVERYONE needs to read and be aware of. His post, titled "Current State Drone Regulations...," is important reading for each of us.

In a nutshell, the States of Montana and Oklahoma - both of them low-populated, large "Big Sky Country" States - are poised to enact State legislation that all but abolish drone piloting in their airspaces, or else seriously curtails those rights afforded us by the FAA just last year. Personally, I believe it is way beyond time that each of us takes this ongoing assault against our rights seriously and to heart. We cannot just wait for others to fight our fight for us or leave it strictly in the hands of commercial-drone interests and their related lobbyist groups, as the average drone pilot that is out there quietly doing his or her own thing is NOT represented by them and therefore our voices are poorly considered and represented in this matter.

To that end, I have drafted a letter that all drone pilots can use as a template to personally address this important matter. This is a draft letter only. I am posting it here below (couldn't upload it as a file for some unknown reason) for you to read, to consider, to use, or to make comments on for any changes or editing that may be suggested. Let us remember that the giraffe is an animal created by a committee, so let's keep this process manageable if it goes further the way I hope it does.

It's time, ladies and gentleman, to stand up and be counted. This letter can and should be sent to every print publication, website, social media outlet, and politician you can think of. Now, today, not waiting until it is too late. If we fail to unite and mobilize on a grassroots level against the trend to ban drones in this Nation, then we only deserve what we ultimately will get. Do not let that happen! Stand up, speak out, be heard, and be counted. THAT is what will make the difference.

Here is my letter. It can easily be personalized to meet your individual needs and circumstance, i.e., whether drone flying is your avocation or the way in which you earn your living. Remember what John Lennon sang out years ago, "Power To The People, Right On!!"


March 12, 2017

Dear XXXXXXXXX,

I am an average citizen whose voice must be heard concerning drones and their place in our State. I strongly and vocally oppose any measures to further curtail my rights to fly a drone safely where I live and travel, and am addressing that issue here.

I AM a drone pilot who observes all current FAA regulations every time I fly. As such, I am a safe, responsible pilot whose “Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness” includes having ongoing access and the ability to continue to enjoy this avocation/vocation (CHOOSE ONE!) of mine. The freedom which the skies naturally offer me as part of my allodial rights, granted to me at birth, must not be interfered with or disposed of by mere laws written by the hand of man. This natural right was guaranteed to me by a much Higher Power than that.

Drones and drone pilots have become the targets of one of this Nation’s latest witch-burning trends, something that mindlessly occurs in politics when only certain voices are listened to and the concerns of others are summarily dismissed, and when the facts are only partially revealed and the feelings of the people affected take a backseat to even more proposed regulations designed to satisfy a select few, a very un-American political thing to do.

I represent many others who feel the same way - and just as strongly - about this issue as I do. We are currently mobilizing locally and nationally to further our voices and ensure that our will shall be felt in the hallways of our governments, locally, regionally and nationally. In short, WE are the seeds of a grassroots movement ready to become the NRA of drone pilots who share common beliefs and will work hard to present and further our agenda to our government leaders and public entities. We are NOT going to just go away.

The skies above are vast enough to accommodate everyone and their interests, including those held by drone pilots themselves. The current FAA regulations have adequately addressed ALL public concerns that have been expressed related to drone flying; therefore, an additional and cumbersome patchwork quilt of lesser laws haphazardly stitched together across the country is wholly unnecessary, contradictory, unwise, and stifling to the ongoing advancements of “We, The People,” technologically, personally, socially, and even spiritually, too. Do NOT take us down this dead-end road. It did not work with guns, equal rights, or civil liberties, and it will not work here, either.

Moreover, please understand that for every letter you receive from us about this issue, 10 more pilots echo our sentiments and are simply waiting right now in silence. More than 1,000,000 new drones were sold in the United States just this past holiday season alone. The numbers of us are just now being amassed by us as we organize against new drone regulations, but in the end those numbers – and the numbers of our supporters – shall be staggering and impossible to either ignore or squelch. We’re near, we have no fear, and we’re here, here to stay. Therefore, you must deal with us.

Please feel free to contact me personally about this matter. I can be reached at (123) 456-7890. I urge you to take this letter and its message seriously. As a group, we will pursue every opportunity to openly and legally oppose future drone regulations through every act of civil disobedience available to us, as well as doing whatever it takes for us to be heard and listened to. Thank you for your time and attention on this matter that is of great personal importance to me and WILL influence the switches I flip during the next election season. That is a sincere and unequivocal promise.

Sincerely,

Joe/Jane Drone Pilot

12345 Main Street

Hometown, ST 00000

That's it. There it is. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading this post.

I appreciate your effort and hard work in drafting the letter, but I must admit it's a bit in-your-face and provocative. Politicians won't react favorably to this kind of message. A bit of diplomacy is needed, I think. :)
 
Hello, all. Rayray posted an article yesterday that EVERYONE needs to read and be aware of. His post, titled "Current State Drone Regulations...," is important reading for each of us.

In a nutshell, the States of Montana and Oklahoma - both of them low-populated, large "Big Sky Country" States - are poised to enact State legislation that all but abolish drone piloting in their airspaces, or else seriously curtails those rights afforded us by the FAA just last year. Personally, I believe it is way beyond time that each of us takes this ongoing assault against our rights seriously and to heart. We cannot just wait for others to fight our fight for us or leave it strictly in the hands of commercial-drone interests and their related lobbyist groups, as the average drone pilot that is out there quietly doing his or her own thing is NOT represented by them and therefore our voices are poorly considered and represented in this matter.

To that end, I have drafted a letter that all drone pilots can use as a template to personally address this important matter. This is a draft letter only. I am posting it here below (couldn't upload it as a file for some unknown reason) for you to read, to consider, to use, or to make comments on for any changes or editing that may be suggested. Let us remember that the giraffe is an animal created by a committee, so let's keep this process manageable if it goes further the way I hope it does.

It's time, ladies and gentleman, to stand up and be counted. This letter can and should be sent to every print publication, website, social media outlet, and politician you can think of. Now, today, not waiting until it is too late. If we fail to unite and mobilize on a grassroots level against the trend to ban drones in this Nation, then we only deserve what we ultimately will get. Do not let that happen! Stand up, speak out, be heard, and be counted. THAT is what will make the difference.

Here is my letter. It can easily be personalized to meet your individual needs and circumstance, i.e., whether drone flying is your avocation or the way in which you earn your living. Remember what John Lennon sang out years ago, "Power To The People, Right On!!"


March 12, 2017

Dear XXXXXXXXX,

I am an average citizen whose voice must be heard concerning drones and their place in our State. I strongly and vocally oppose any measures to further curtail my rights to fly a drone safely where I live and travel, and am addressing that issue here.

I AM a drone pilot who observes all current FAA regulations every time I fly. As such, I am a safe, responsible pilot whose “Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness” includes having ongoing access and the ability to continue to enjoy this avocation/vocation (CHOOSE ONE!) of mine. The freedom which the skies naturally offer me as part of my allodial rights, granted to me at birth, must not be interfered with or disposed of by mere laws written by the hand of man. This natural right was guaranteed to me by a much Higher Power than that.

Drones and drone pilots have become the targets of one of this Nation’s latest witch-burning trends, something that mindlessly occurs in politics when only certain voices are listened to and the concerns of others are summarily dismissed, and when the facts are only partially revealed and the feelings of the people affected take a backseat to even more proposed regulations designed to satisfy a select few, a very un-American political thing to do.

I represent many others who feel the same way - and just as strongly - about this issue as I do. We are currently mobilizing locally and nationally to further our voices and ensure that our will shall be felt in the hallways of our governments, locally, regionally and nationally. In short, WE are the seeds of a grassroots movement ready to become the NRA of drone pilots who share common beliefs and will work hard to present and further our agenda to our government leaders and public entities. We are NOT going to just go away.

The skies above are vast enough to accommodate everyone and their interests, including those held by drone pilots themselves. The current FAA regulations have adequately addressed ALL public concerns that have been expressed related to drone flying; therefore, an additional and cumbersome patchwork quilt of lesser laws haphazardly stitched together across the country is wholly unnecessary, contradictory, unwise, and stifling to the ongoing advancements of “We, The People,” technologically, personally, socially, and even spiritually, too. Do NOT take us down this dead-end road. It did not work with guns, equal rights, or civil liberties, and it will not work here, either.

Moreover, please understand that for every letter you receive from us about this issue, 10 more pilots echo our sentiments and are simply waiting right now in silence. More than 1,000,000 new drones were sold in the United States just this past holiday season alone. The numbers of us are just now being amassed by us as we organize against new drone regulations, but in the end those numbers – and the numbers of our supporters – shall be staggering and impossible to either ignore or squelch. We’re near, we have no fear, and we’re here, here to stay. Therefore, you must deal with us.

Please feel free to contact me personally about this matter. I can be reached at (123) 456-7890. I urge you to take this letter and its message seriously. As a group, we will pursue every opportunity to openly and legally oppose future drone regulations through every act of civil disobedience available to us, as well as doing whatever it takes for us to be heard and listened to. Thank you for your time and attention on this matter that is of great personal importance to me and WILL influence the switches I flip during the next election season. That is a sincere and unequivocal promise.

Sincerely,

Joe/Jane Drone Pilot

12345 Main Street

Hometown, ST 00000

That's it. There it is. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading this post.
Well, they may be blowing smoke up their own "rear Hole" since the Air above the landscape is controlled and regulated by the Federal Government (FAA).
 
I personally have not completed my FAA registration, used a alias email address on FAA site.

I am torn in using my real name vs using an alias, and both criminals and NON criminals use an alias for diff reasons, there is a reason to use a burner cell phone too even if not a criminal, ie F Off NSA !

Politicians in the USA talk about 'freedom' but is not PRIVACY a part of freedom ? Freedom of NOT having the fedgov know everything that you do is called privacy, how about some ?

Besides if 9/11 is any indication, the fedgov will NOT find you or your planned awful deeds until after the evil you have done will they ? OR if they are preventing awful acts, they really need to advertise more, i do not see much/any !

I consider having to register a drone and NOT a gun totally insane ! Of course one must register lots of things in any society, but a drone vs a gun, WHICH will cause the most harm, unless a terrorist using a drone to deposit/or be a bomb, tell me which is made to kill something ? But then this is irrational/immature/hyperemotional USA, we can not seem to ever discuss ANY issue like mature humans, critical & rational thinking is unheard of in the USA, all topics are politics NOT rational thought !!

I have absolutely no intention of flying above crowds or near airports or even buzzing wild animals, and think that I am 'almost' justified in using an alias, plus that gun thing.

Of course if I get caught by the law for 'flying in some fake/imagined 'sensitive' area, as I would not fly where there are large quantities of birds or other flying things, but just because it is the COAST of a state seems TOTALLY ARBITRARY and trivial or irrational legislature in the least !

(Is this the same as being MOTHERED to DEATH by the concerned ?????)

besides, between the FBI, NSA, CIA, etc have the capability to find anyone and track you even if using an alias, seems almost quaint and silly that they expect my real name, for what i consider a meaningful burden for the non criminal.

You can fly a 255lb Ultralight Aircraft w/o any license, over that weight you do, but an itty bitty little 3lb drone warrants a required license ?

but have not decided, but must before i venture far !

a huge quandary for me ! Am i the only one ?

ps: if I consider a reason to do something for $$ then that is a whole other viewpoint/issue/topic, and will require a diff license anyhow, then a real name is a must, no plans now, privacy is always important.

Do you drive a registered car?
 
I have absolutely no intention of flying . . . . . . . .
Emphasis added


No one intends to crash but this forum, and others like it, are full of crash stories. Is it unreasonable to think if you had a flyaway and beyond your line of site, the drone landed in someone's backyard or worse, would it be unreasonable to think that; perhaps you would need to be found? I don't like the thought of registration for hobby use any more than the next guy, but your seriously considering using a fake name to register your drone and feel that's somehow better than skirting the law outright and not registering?
 
I love when people who openly flaunt laws they do not like call those people who actually do follow those laws "sheeple" or some other clever name. BTW, in every state I have ever lived I did in fact have to license my dogs. I also have to license my guns, cars, boats, and have a license to practice my main profession.

So go ahead and refuse to do what is actually required to be legal to fly, that is your choice. But spare us your insults towards those that choose instead to fully participate in civil society by following those same laws. See, we don't get to follow only the laws we like.
 
So I guess we can assume that when the new laws are enacted and not only registration, but also testing and permission will be required that you will choose to ignore those laws as well, right? Sadly, you are exactly the type of individual that is driving, and will continue to drive, more stringent regulations.
 
I love when people who openly flaunt laws they do not like call those people who actually do follow those laws "sheeple" or some other clever name. BTW, in every state I have ever lived I did in fact have to license my dogs. I also have to license my guns, cars, boats, and have a license to practice my main profession.

So go ahead and refuse to do what is actually required to be legal to fly, that is your choice. But spare us your insults towards those that choose instead to fully participate in civil society by following those same laws. See, we don't get to follow only the laws we like.

Seems to describe a current "political" position.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Docdor
Well, read into it what you want on the wider issues. My point was directed at the drone community. People who willfully ignore current laws are the ones that the FAA will use as an excuse for even more stringent regulations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CSI and Ty Pilot

New Posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
20,954
Messages
241,586
Members
27,284
Latest member
csandoval