I have been flying remote control helicopters for probably 15 years. Back in the day, we were relegated to flying at the end of the runway and only if no other air traffic was flying. We were treated kind of like red headed stepchildren.
Someday soon the tables may be reversed. RC airplanes and helicopters are on the down swing and drones are being sold in exponential volumes from year to year. While many of these RC flying fields will become extinct, drone flyers will multiply.
The biggest problem I see with drones, as opposed to learning to fly a fixed wing at a flying field, is that there is no one to teach you. In the old RC airplane days, you 1st had to have an AMA card just to fly and then you had to be checked out by 1 of the field instructors before you could even start your engine. That was their way of making sure you were safe and not a hazard to other pilots plus their job was to ensure that your aircraft was airworthy and that you could experience the most fun and least amount of terror while you are flying
There was always a field safety officer present on Sundays and he would be the one to go and have a skull session with someone if they were doing something stupid or wrong. These days the only field safety officers we have are the police who have no clue about what our laws and regulations are, and our neighbors who are quick to jump the gun and call the police if they think we are invading their privacy.
If you are courteous, respectful, don't fly low over people's property, don't buzz people or their property, maybe we will have a happy future. If left up to some of these malevolent pilots who really don't give a darn about safety or regulations and just want to fly when they want to fly, we will be doomed.
Sincerely,
Cpl Thunderdrones
Drone Police
