Pilot loses control of drone during Ohio State football game, records show

[EricJT]

This incident brings two items to mind:

First, this does not help the Anti-RID lobby, and second, you can't fix stupid, although a significant monetary punishment might influence future behaviour.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Looking for more information about the story, the event brings up a lot of interesting questions. While I don't think this particular event is unique from the standpoint that it will change the way we look at drones or address their failures, I do believe it highlights several needs (which are pointed out here in the forum as well as in the various news broadcasts) which still need to be addressed. In particular, how do we properly and effectively get the word out to the thousands of hobby flyers who just don't know or don't understand the rules, not so we can excuse anyone or anything, but to focus on prevention (which I assume is what everyone, including me) wants.

DJI will not put a flyer in their boxes as they ship all over the world and different countries have different laws.

The most effective would be a requirement that any distributor or store that sells a UAV within the US would be required to provide a standardized FAA UAV Handout at the time of purchase. Then hobby as well as commercial UAV owners would have no excuse for not knowing the requirements. And yes, I know home builders would not receive the handout. But if they are knowledgeable enough to be building FPV's etc. they will or should already be aware of the requirement.

 

[mavic3usa]

DJI will not put a flyer in their boxes as they ship all over the world and different countries have different laws.

The most effective would be a requirement that any distributor or store that sells a UAV within the US would be required to provide a standardized FAA UAV Handout at the time of purchase. Then hobby as well as commercial UAV owners would have no excuse for not knowing the requirements. And yes, I know home builders would not receive the handout. But if they are knowledgeable enough to be building FPV's etc. they will or should already be aware of the requirement.

Unfortunately that won't work. For various reasons.

But I agree with you, the answer is not a flyer in the box either (not because of different laws in different countries) but my earlier comment is just asking for "effective" suggestions since it seems to be a common question. And there is no easy answer (which is likely why it isn't done) but for sure, getting distributors and stores (i.e. point of sale) involved is definitely not the answer.

Think about selling cars and if there is a law that says you sell a car to someone, you have to hand them an anti-DUI brochure...I think that would not go over so well and in fact, that would be a disaster.

America, as a nation of laws, cannot and should not depend on informing consumer as the basis for enforcing laws. Forced compliance is not effective at stopping infractions and preventing violations. Instead education and a proper penalty system works much better. Unfortunately that means less control over the honest drone flyer so it probably isn't going to happen that way. For example, one violation and you get a drone tag (RID module) tethered to your drone. What would be better than that? Well, drone tags for everybody!

 

[Robert Prior]

DJI will not put a flyer in their boxes as they ship all over the world and different countries have different laws.

They do that already. When I got my Mini 3 Pro it had flyers for (IIRC) Australia and the EU. Well, more small slips of coloured paper noting that drones were governed by laws with a QR code that presumably led to the appropriate web site.

 

[ericole]

Raises a lot of questions. As reported by PilotInstitute this week, here's the news story:

A "Georgia Man"? Name sure didn't sound like it... I've often been thinking lately about the possibility of illegals crossing the southern border and whether or not they are using drones to identify the weak areas for easy crossings.

 

[mavic3usa]

"Rigoberto Canaca Escoto was identified by police as the operator of the drone and, according to court documents, admitted he flew the drone from the Lennox Town Center, around Morrill and Lincoln towers and then over the stadium."

Says he is from Lawrenceville, GA

Listen to this news report:

 

[rjwmorrell]

They do that already. When I got my Mini 3 Pro it had flyers for (IIRC) Australia and the EU. Well, more small slips of coloured paper noting that drones were governed by laws with a QR code that presumably led to the appropriate web site.

Yes, I'm pretty sure my two drones from the Canadian vendor had the same thing, not that I can find those papers now. The one I ordered directly from DJI did not.

 

[BobaFut]

A "Georgia Man"? Name sure didn't sound like it... I've often been thinking lately about the possibility of illegals crossing the southern border and whether or not they are using drones to identify the weak areas for easy crossings.

What does a Georgia name "sound like" exactly?

 

[Fly Petaluma]

Looking for more information about the story, the event brings up a lot of interesting questions. While I don't think this particular event is unique from the standpoint that it will change the way we look at drones or address their failures, I do believe it highlights several needs (which are pointed out here in the forum as well as in the various news broadcasts) which still need to be addressed. In particular, how do we properly and effectively get the word out to the thousands of hobby flyers who just don't know or don't understand the rules, not so we can excuse anyone or anything, but to focus on prevention (which I assume is what everyone, including me) wants.

One way to get the word out would be to require sellers to provide basic information about FAA regulations, especially when/where drones can't be flown. I know, this means gov't regulations but I think that would be preferable to punishing everyone for what clueless people do.