White House Seeks More Power to Counter use of Drones in U.S. (source AP News)

[Skyryder]

All of this is true but really of little value. Laws don't stop bad people from doing bad things. Restrictions only cripple people that follow the law.

I disagree with that concept. Why have laws at all if the "good people" will behave themselves and the bad will do what they want anyways? The fact is, laws work to inhibit bad behavior. They can't prevent it in all cases but if the law is strong enough, like the death penalty, it inhibits a lot of bad people from breaking that law if they fear the consequences.

Every culture for the last 2,000 years has had a set of laws to prevent bad people from doing bad things. Can you name a society that just said "nope, we don't need them because bad people will just ignore them"?

 

[AZDave]

Anti-lock brakes, seat belts, MPG rules, rear cameras, autonomous braking, etc....

Also stop signs, speed limits, police cameras, vehicle safety restrictions. The guy who thinks cars aren't heavily regulated is ignorant of facts that he simply takes for granted to the point he doesn't even notice they exist.

 

[Vic Moss]

Well to get that wrote it would have to worded right.
@Vic Moss or @BigAl07 what do you think.

I'm at the AUVSI/FAA conference in Orlando this week, and this has been talked about here by attendees. I'll digest it more deeply on the plane ride home tomorrow. But it's nothing to worry about yet. However, it's most certainly something we need to keep an eye on.

As of now, this is only a while paper by the Biden Administration to give further instructions to Congress to follow through on an Executive Order from the Trump Administration.

As of now, it has no power. But this will very likely be something we need to watch out for next year as Congress works on the 2023 FAA Reauthorization Act. We'll be in DC to talk to lawmakers and Congress committees if necessary, and this will be something we discuss with them as we educate them on the consequences of regulations that are detrimental to our industry and our hobby.

We'll also be posting here when the industry needs to reach out to their Congress Critters about this and other drone related issues that come up during the Congressional session next year.

 

[Vic Moss]

BTW, I don't see an link to the actual white paper in this thread, so here it is. That will hopefully belay some of the fears: FACT SHEET: The Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action Plan | The White House

 

[Chaosrider]

Well, there are 55 pound drones that can carry 10 pounds of c-4, as well as a myriad of weapons. I have no problem letting the government know where my drone is and who I am. I fly a mini 2, but I suppose I could hurt someone with it if so inclined.

The problem I see is a possible lack of drone knowledge by less than federal agencies, which could result in draconian uninspired state legislation. There will be the inevitable lawsuits to settle conflicting laws. The FAA needs to have a strong organized inter-agency education program. They probably do but I’m not privy. There will be more rules, not less. Need to get the 107 before my drone falls into one of those La Brea tarpits.

I think you're right, in your implicit point that the majority of new drone regulations will fall on recreational fliers, rather than 107 pilots.

That's one of the reasons I got my 107 pretty much as soon as I understood the regulations well enough to see the value.

If you're already a current licensed pilot, getting the 107 is easy. If you're licensed but not current, go get your BFR! That will be fun all by itself. That's what I did.



TCS

 

[AheadAir]

So can a car, yet I don't see increased restrictions on cars.

There are already plenty of restrictions on cars, mostly at the state level.

 

[MA2 317]

I think the word DRONE is really the wrong thing we should be calling ourselves.

Many of us tried to keep this from happening but the word "Drone" became the defacto term for our UAS and once John Q. Public embraced the term the battle was OVER!

It doesn't help that DJI refers to their products as camera drones.

I don't think I've seen the term quadcopter for DJI drones.

.

 

[bmcelya]

I'm at the AUVSI/FAA conference in Orlando this week, and this has been talked about here by attendees. I'll digest it more deeply on the plane ride home tomorrow. But it's nothing to worry about yet. However, it's most certainly something we need to keep an eye on.

As of now, this is only a while paper by the Biden Administration to give further instructions to Congress to follow through on an Executive Order from the Trump Administration.

As of now, it has no power. But this will very likely be something we need to watch out for next year as Congress works on the 2023 FAA Reauthorization Act. We'll be in DC to talk to lawmakers and Congress committees if necessary, and this will be something we discuss with them as we educate them on the consequences of regulations that are detrimental to our industry and our hobby.

We'll also be posting here when the industry needs to reach out to their Congress Critters about this and other drone related issues that come up during the Congressional session next year.

Hello Vic. Thanks for your very professional efforts on our behalf. I had no idea. Whatever they’re paying you it’s not enough (smile). Maybe there should be a national drone organization, like AOPA has for fixed wing. If there is one, I’ll join.

Whenever you say to, I will write to my Congress Critters and maybe it will help. Give us some ideas on what to include in a letter. “Congress Critters,” now that’s funny.

Note: Congressmen and Senators are required to respond to correspondence from constituents within 30 days. Not emails, not newsgroups, hand made letters mailed from the post office. They do read them. They *will* write back, provided you reside in their district.

 

[RGS2010]

The scariest part of that article toward the end was the research into "mitigation" of drones.

 

[PacificSkyDreamn]

There are already plenty of restrictions on cars, mostly at the state level.

Additionally there are ways to enforce these laws (police, sheriff, highway patrol) - and penalties (tickets, fines, suspension/loss of driver license, arrest and jail for serious bad behavior).

Read or watch a good documentary on the earl history of the automobile when there were no traffic laws or roadway controls (stop signs/signals), and no one in government was empowered to deal with bad driving behavior. Accidents - especially in cities - were rampant and injury/death to drives and pedestrians commonplace. The current situation in the US with drones is very analogous to the beginning of cars/trucks in this county.

 

[Mrpokey]

With all the problems Potus has, he really wants to mess with drones? Huh. Who'da thunk it?

As there are a lot of people who don't like drones, especially the ones who have no clue about drones, "nefarious" would be a very subjective term. That means anyone could describe a drone as nefarious just because they think it is. Hopefully, there would be some criteria to clearly define 'nefarious.'

this is how remote ID came to pass from the corporations under the guise of safety..Lobbyists=Govt=Regulations

 

[Clintoops]

Anti-lock brakes, seat belts, MPG rules, rear cameras, autonomous braking, etc....

There plan is self driving cars electric ones

 

[lookout]

There plan is self driving cars electric ones

That need a recharge every two hours. Maybe fine driving in the city, but terrible on long distances. Batteries have nothing on the gas hogs.

 

[lookout]

this is how remote ID came to pass from the corporations under the guise of safety..Lobbyists=Govt=Regulations

RID doesn't prevent me from running into anything.

 

[Mavic Merrick]

Just please follow the drone (quadcopter(QC) laws everyone, if we follow the laws as strictly as possible they shouldn’t have any problems with QC’s. Most drone pilots are just out there to have fun and they adhere to (most) of the rules, but then you have the other guys who don’t care about any of the FAA rules and they is why QC’s will be banned from everyone.
Fly safe!

 

[karlblessing]

Additionally there are ways to enforce these laws (police, sheriff, highway patrol) - and penalties (tickets, fines, suspension/loss of driver license, arrest and jail for serious bad behavior).

Read or watch a good documentary on the earl history of the automobile when there were no traffic laws or roadway controls (stop signs/signals), and no one in government was empowered to deal with bad driving behavior. Accidents - especially in cities - were rampant and injury/death to drives and pedestrians commonplace. The current situation in the US with drones is very analogous to the beginning of cars/trucks in this county.

Thankfully tho , we're not looking at as many deaths/injuries related to early drone use. But we have some hindsight of similar vehicles to base that off of and haven't had a huge influx of recklessness to deal with yet. Brace for the time a reliable drone that doesn't faint at the sign of a breeze becomes less than $200.

 

[GFields]

Stay on track and leave politics out! There have been several post deleted for this reason. Some post just for cleanup.

 

[Bob in Savannah]

Anti-lock brakes, seat belts, MPG rules, rear cameras, autonomous braking, etc....

And yet in the face of that, now they're letting cars drive themselves. Obviously, this is a problem.

 

[AZDave]

And yet in the face of that, now they're letting cars drive themselves. Obviously, this is a problem.

The self-driving cars still have to follow the same rules as we do. But to your point, I'm an engineer who is in favor of automation in general, but I'm very leery of self driving cars. I'd actually have more faith in the safety of self driving passenger copters that have the ability to evade in three dimensions. Maybe someday even in a fourth dimension ...

 

[lookout]

The self-driving cars still have to follow the same rules as we do. But to your point, I'm an engineer who is in favor of automation in general, but I'm very leery of self driving cars. I'd actually have more faith in the safety of self driving passenger copters that have the ability to evade in three dimensions. Maybe someday even in a fourth dimension ...

Do self driving cars know how to back up and turn around in a blocked alley?

In a bad neighborhood...