FAA should provide labels for drones

[Michael Wyoming]

Here's an idea.

If the FAA is interested in having registered drones display labels on the drone's exterior, the FAA should provide the labels.
They have the data base of registration to facilitate the program. The FAA mails the labels out with instructions as to exactly where they are to be placed. This would eliminate pilots 'accidentally' misrepresenting the registration number, and the uniformity of label appearance and location would help emergency personnel quickly identify the registrant.
To encourage adoption, the label could have a locator chip for pilots to recover lost drones; possibly through the to be revised B4Ufly app. The FAA and others knowing where are drones are in the air is inevitable, anyway, so...
The program would be funded by emergency agency budgets, and the FAA. Being that this is tax payer money, our annoyed neighbors would be paying for the program; unbeknownst to them.

It's a win, win.

I don't believe that idea would work. First of all, there are no 'standard' places to put the number. Second, I don't want the inherent delay that the government will cause. Third, I don't want any additional bureaucracy in the FAA, it's bad enough as it is.

 

[gerrymad]

The FAA does not provide numbers for full scale planes. Why should they do it for a drone which is registered for $5? Also if I have 10 drones and I register as a hobbyist should they send me 10 stickers for that one fee? Even worse would be if 6 months later I get another drone in my collection do they have to send me another one for free or do they charge me another fee of some sort. They would probably have to charge me more than the cost of a ptouch printer just to cover their overhead.

 

[ScubaBob]

Mike Singer will make labels for you for a small cost, see his post at Best place to get Registration numbers

I used a simple Brother P-Touch and printed out a "FAA Registration #_________" as well as my name, phone number, email and a "$250 reward if returned" message. Simple, cheap, effective.

 

[Former Member]

I have a Brother named PTouch too!! Small world

Now that's funny!

 

[Freebird32]

We let the Government do far more for us than it should. When they do things for us, it costs us more money, it is poorly managed in most cases and you can never get rid of that management later. Has the government gotten smaller since its inception? How many programs do you know that are run efficiently?
The FAA could print a label that is for example 4 inches by 3 inches and tell everyone to put it on their drones. It is standardized, but they don't know what drone you have or how much free space is on it so now your stuck. Be careful what you wish for.
We can afford a $1000+ drone but can't get over a $2 sharpie, or a $30 dollar label maker or similar?

 

[Former Member]

The initial content, context and title of this thread seem to bring out the worst in people. Bordering on a troll post.

 

[bentbrent]

Here's an idea.

If the FAA is interested in having registered drones display labels on the drone's exterior, the FAA should provide the labels.
They have the data base of registration to facilitate the program. The FAA mails the labels out with instructions as to exactly where they are to be placed. This would eliminate pilots 'accidentally' misrepresenting the registration number, and the uniformity of label appearance and location would help emergency personnel quickly identify the registrant.
To encourage adoption, the label could have a locator chip for pilots to recover lost drones; possibly through the to be revised B4Ufly app. The FAA and others knowing where are drones are in the air is inevitable, anyway, so...
The program would be funded by emergency agency budgets, and the FAA. Being that this is tax payer money, our annoyed neighbors would be paying for the program; unbeknownst to them.

It's a win, win.

It's more like a lose-lose. You're just one more person who wants Big Government expanding into EVERY aspect of our life, NO THANKS!!! It's bad enough that they regulate us, but now you want them involved in manufacturing the labels too. How do you propose that these 'official' FAA decals be paid for? Stick the taxpayers with the bill? Or perhaps bill the drone owner for the labels? Can you imagine what THAT would cost? NO THANKS once again. I have a Brothers label maker. I am perfectly capable of printing my own labels, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Even if I wasn't, there are many people here who offer decals at quite reasonable prices. And in the absence of explicit governmental instructions directing me exactly where to place my label, (believe it or not) I am fully capable of figuring out a suitable place to put the label.

 

[Drone on]

It's more like a lose-lose. You're just one more person who wants Big Government expanding into EVERY aspect of our life, NO THANKS!!! It's bad enough that they regulate us, but now you want them involved in manufacturing the labels too. How do you propose that these 'official' FAA decals be paid for? Stick the taxpayers with the bill? Or perhaps bill the drone owner for the labels? Can you imagine what THAT would cost? NO THANKS once again. I have a Brothers label maker. I am perfectly capable of printing my own labels, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Even if I wasn't, there are many people here who offer decals at quite reasonable prices. And in the absence of explicit governmental instructions directing me exactly where to place my label, (believe it or not) I am fully capable of figuring out a suitable place to put the label.

They already are. That's the point.
If they insist on requiring labels, they should provide

 

[Marko9219]

Here's an idea.

If the FAA is interested in having registered drones display labels on the drone's exterior, the FAA should provide the labels.
They have the data base of registration to facilitate the program. The FAA mails the labels out with instructions as to exactly where they are to be placed. This would eliminate pilots 'accidentally' misrepresenting the registration number, and the uniformity of label appearance and location would help emergency personnel quickly identify the registrant.
To encourage adoption, the label could have a locator chip for pilots to recover lost drones; possibly through the to be revised B4Ufly app. The FAA and others knowing where are drones are in the air is inevitable, anyway, so...
The program would be funded by emergency agency budgets, and the FAA. Being that this is tax payer money, our annoyed neighbors would be paying for the program; unbeknownst to them.

It's a win, win.

I have to display registration numbers clearly on both sides of the bow of my boat. The state surely doesn't provide those decals. Should they?

 

[Drone on]

I have to display registration numbers clearly on both sides of the bow of my boat. The state surely doesn't provide those decals. Should they?

No they shouldn't.

Do you equate a drone with a boat?

 

[RBeaton]

I have to display registration numbers clearly on both sides of the bow of my boat. The state surely doesn't provide those decals.

I thought the same. With boats, you need to use a visible, high contrast color - like don’t put white letters on a white boat. It’s kind of the same for drones. There’s not a one size fits all solution. There are different sizes, colors, and shapes of drones, so it’s much more logical to put the onus on the owner to use their brains and figure out how to label it properly instead of mailing out a standard solution for an application that can vary widely.

 

[drvrbob]

Ok heres my opinion.

You get license plates for free here when you register your car. You get a pilots license on paper for free when you pass the test. You get a social security card on paper for free when you get a number.

The government gives out these free, they could give out the registration numbers for free too. The only reason why they probably dont, is because there are so many different drones out there, people will want custom colors, etc.

Guess you dont own a boat. YOU put the numbers they tell you on your boat. If someone is not smart enough to know how to put registration numbers on their drone they most likely do not need to be flying one in my humble opinion

 

[Freedom 1]

I took a silver sharpie and wrote my numbers on my blades that way I didn't have to mess up my drone

 

[Wille]

It's called finder's keeper's.
It's also called Marco Polo.Tm
Now you can remove your serial number sticker(s), And If your crashing, Remember to format on the way down

edit: If i had an inspire with DSLR I would probably fly sensibly and want my details on it. That's you right?

 

[Cheech Wizard]

Heck NO never ask the government to do something that anyone with common sense can do .
The very thought of asking the government to produce something as simple as a write on label let alone a specific ID type label is beyond comprehension

I have a vinyl cutter a very expensive vinyl cutter so I am covered but if i did not have such a fancy dancy machine i would have wandered down to my local Walmart and bought the simple items below and slapped them on my drone easy peasy. For the simple price of about $3.00 you can make 65 feet of FAA suitable labels and go nuts on every drone you could ever buy.
DON'T LET THE FAA GRAB ANY MORE CONTROL OVER WHAT WE CAN TOTALLY SCREW UP ALL BY OURSELVES
mikemoose55

View attachment 64780View attachment 64781View attachment 64780

I'm pretty sure I read that "Magic Markers are not acceptable.

 

[BigAl07]

I'm pretty sure I read that "Magic Markers are not acceptable.

Ummm that's not correct at all sir. This graphic from the FAA will help clear that up some (hopefully)

 

[Thomas B]

I'm pretty sure I read that "Magic Markers are not acceptable.

I don’t think the law mentions type of label and I can’t find any interpretation of the issue raised here about magic marker, etc. As I understand the law currently it is so LEOs can read your serial on the drone without having to touch it, this may also mean legible in the air. If anyone can quote the state or a legal interpretation pleas edo so and correct me for the benefit of us all.

 

[Thomas B]

Ummm that's not correct at all sir. This graphic from the FAA will help clear that up some (hopefully)

View attachment 65619

Thanks! There we have it.

 

[BigAl07]

I don’t think the law mentions type of label and I can’t find any interpretation of the issue raised here about magic marker, etc. As I understand the law currently it is so LEOs can read your serial on the drone without having to touch it, this may also mean legible in the air. If anyone can quote the state or a legal interpretation pleas edo so and correct me for the benefit of us all.

To date, nothing is stated about being legible from the air or from any distance at all. It just merely has to be "legible" without having to remove/open any portion of the aircraft.

IMHO this just makes sense and I've always thought that the "allowance" to put it into a battery/internal compartment was a huge mistake from the get-go. Label it on the exterior and go fly. If that's too much trouble find another hobby.

 

[mikemoose55]

Cheech said "I'm pretty sure I read that "Magic Markers are not acceptable".

And Cheech very possibly is right. Why would the FAA allow a permanent marking pen be used for such an important task ?

The bigger issue is I could see the FAA giving us some grief because we tried to comply with their silly rules in a simple way and actually apply a reg number to our toys with a magic marker or better yet a Crayon.

Maybe they should publish a federal specification say 60 or 70 pages so we can fully understand the acceptable fit form and function of "those special" registration numbers for application to a toy.

I would think for about a million bucks and a couple years of study and research they could fully define the marking requirements for us idiots and then when done they could sign the specifications into law WITH A FREAKING SHARPIE.
Why do they even have to tell us how ................we are not idiots

Which Are the Best Permanent Markers?
mikemoose55