Text "RESIST" to 50409. Then tell them what you think. I sent this to my local senators.
The Drone Federalism Act of 2017 could stifle creative new business opportunities (real estate photography, videography, aerial photography) as well as recreational use and commerce by creating a blanket no fly zone (200 ft distance in all directions) of private property without prior authorization by the owners. In the example of real estate photography, a situation which currently would require the participation of the photographed party and possibly their direct nextdoor neighbors, would, under this new legislation, require collecting consent from up to 6 times as many parties. This also would mean that home users would not be able to fly within their own property if that property was within 200 feet of their neighbors. This legislation opens the door for local governments as well as states to completely restrict the recreational and commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles in
their areas, resulting in a patchwork of conflicting regulations that would be difficult to navigate, especially for creatives who may travel for their work or vacationers traveling between areas, leading to additional confusion and an increasingly negative public opinion of multi-rotor platforms. Local governments should coordinate with the FAA to add additional no-fly zones on sensitive areas and invest in more comprehensive training and public outreach on the benefits of small UAV systems, not only for entertainment but agricultural, industrial, and real estate uses. As a constituent I urge you to reconsider this legislation and to vote no.
This is just so wrong on so many levels and it will seriously hurt any possible economic opportunity for personal drones in the U.S. There will be no place to fly and the only drones in the air will belong to the police.
It is just catering to the fear mongers who have absolutely no factual evidence to support the fear and ignorance around small personal drones. There have been more than a million hours of flight time using these small aircraft, yet there is not one verifiable report of a drone crash in the US that resulted in a serious injury to someone not connected to the flight. Not one. (A Band-Aid is not a serious injury- See CFR 49 § 830.2).
There is also not one verifiable report of a collision between a small drone and a manned aircraft. Not one. Vote NO!