How do I best explain to follow FAA rules to a new operator of a drone?

[jaja6009]

Okay, first off thanks for the great responses, and I typed him up ALOT of info from links to register his drone, to how to download B4Ufly, Airmap and DJI Assistant for updates with a ton in between. I texted him also to remind him he was in Class C airspace and cannot fly there without using LAANC. I also told him that if needed I will come over and help him install all of the apps, update all of his firmware and teach him about airspaces. I gave him a copy of the Circular Advisory and laid out most of the basic rules. I also gave links to Remote ID and the "Vegas Guy" who got fined in an effort to let him know that he is now an ambassador for drones and that all of his legal, professional flights will never be reported on, but if he has an incident where he was not in compliance it will give all drone users a black eye.

I insisted he stop flying the drone and read the entire Mavic 2 Pro manual and if he does not understand something to call me. I also sent him a link to dronelogbook.com so he can use its free account to log all of his missions and maintenance.

I tried to word it like this is all going to help him as he tries to study for and pass his Part 107 so I think I sound more like someone trying to help in that instead of the nanny know it all.

Thanks, and we shall see.

 

[dwolfe002]

A lot of people worry about money more than anything. Tell him about the fines the FAA can dole out for breaking the rules and that may keep help him follow more rules.

 

[jaja6009]

I mentioned the "Vegas Guy" and the catastrophe he could of caused along with his hefty fines.

But I think everything is good now. I sent him so much info to digest. I also told him that if he did ever get anything drone related as far as enforcement issues, he would most likely be banned from joining our work sUAS program. The city's risk manager would be unable to justify any remote pilot that had "issues" being on the city insurance policy.

 

[Drgnfli]

Common sense.

Naw! Common sense? New droners have no "sense" at all unless they have been subjected to friends who are droners. Unless they are well critiqued by someone, it is a "toy" they see at the store, they buy it & fly it ASAP without looking into anything let alone knowing about the existence of FAA rules. After all, they think it is a "toy" so what can it hurt? I have been on this forum for two years & have heard newbies innocently write about how much fun it is to fly over a thousand feet high & 7,000 feet away (that is 1.3 miles) and then ask what is VLOS ! Naw! Common sense isn't to common! IMHO...

 

[jaja6009]

I don't expect new droners to know anything. But if you inform them, complete with links to FAA documentation and they still don't follow any of the rules, that's when I have a problem. I work in Public Safety and if you had an encounter with LE or the FAA over a drone (Or any law enforcement type action) you would have 5 days to report the interaction (regardless of any issuance of penalties) to superiors, and I would be really embarrassed if that was me.


Update on my friend.
I am pretty sure he never did register the drone. When I ask him if he's yet to get any good footage he says no.
At work we got to fly a building implosion in a TFR and he was my VO. He made some concerning statements such as "I have to learn how to fly by camera only, I have to", before I cut him off and told him you must fly VLOS. Even though I explained it several times he does not use LAANC when in controlled airspace.

He pretty much thinks of me as his mother always scolding and I have pretty much written him off in regards to anything drone related. It will probably take him losing the drone or a LE encounter to change his ways.

I think he got the drone for just the flying aspect. For me it's all about the pics and videos with the drone being a means to the end. He probably should of just bought an RC aircraft, IMO they are actually more about the flying (and building them).

Another person at work bought their kid a drone for Christmas. I told him to register it, if it's more than .55 lbs, which set off a tirade about "the government" complete with references to the Capital Riot and other craziness, asking why "the government" has so much time to worry about drones. So, I am pretty much done with trying to teach anyone about drones. At some point they may learn from LE their responsibilities.

 

[rehkram]

People react to regulations in different ways. I deal with Fed- and State regs all the time with my business. What regulators are looking for is an attitude that reflects your knowledge of the issues, and a willingness to work to mitigate them.

Your friend's attitude is pretty common. Time, experience and knowledge will knock the rough edges off. You are doing the right thing raising the topic, and whether you realize it or not he is thinking more about it than he otherwise would have been. So there's no harm in mentioning it tactfully when the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Thomas B]

FAA will solve the problem by direct interaction eventually

 

[Rich QR]

I do a lot of flying in my small backyard, to get a feel for how the sticks work. When I'm well below the tree line, I know I'm not a danger to manned aircraft, because the only way one could collide with my drone would be if it first collided with my house or trees. That would be true even if I lived in class B airspace (I don't).

I conduct these flights in full compliance with the rules. I have a Part 107 certificate and my drone is registered. Because I'm doing this for fun, I live in uncontrolled airspace, and my drone weighs less than 250g, I don't even need to be licensed or registered, but I am.

I can sympathize with someone who flies below the tree line on their property if they believe the FAA is overreaching to claim jurisdiction over a drone flying less than a meter or two above the ground. And to be clear, I haven't heard of the FAA taking enforcement action unreasonably.

So while I do believe in following the rules, and I believe they are generally reasonable and easy to follow, I'll concede that in some specific cases they aren't so reasonable.

I wouldn't try to overstate the real safety risk of certain rule violations, lest I be rightfully dismissed as unreasonable. But neither would I understate the value of compliance. There are too many people flying in ways that really put other people's lives at real risk, and that's got to stop.

 

[Crash-a-lot]

We are definitely still at a point in this growing industry - particularity when it comes to recreational use - where we need to police ourselves as needed, so you are doing the right thing and asking the right questions.

I would call him again and ask if he plans to keep the UAV. If so, I would inform him that you are willing to walk him through the process of registering himself with the FAA as a recreational UAV pilot, and I would then ask him what his plans are with it. If it was something he planned to get for months and then did so, he should have some idea why he wanted it. I would then explain the process of becoming commercially certified - which I am as well - and the importance, at this stage in his flying, of abiding by the rules. Remember, some people are wired to just blindly follow rules - or conventions - while others are willing to follow them if they understood why the rules are in place. Of course, there are also those who don't care about rules at all, but they normally get their comeuppance some other way...

And some people just don't care about any rules until they get caught. Some after getting caught blame everybody but themselves. Prisons are full of them.