Should Consumer Use of Drones be Regulated or Banned in the U.S.?

Then you need to update the charts constantly. The prohibited and restricted airspace in this country changes daily. Some areas are fixed but Obama has his own restricted airspace that follows him around and then there are any special events that restrict airspace. There are also military training routs that are active some times but are usually clear. Some of the general aviation charts expire every 28 days and need to be replaced to be legal. This could be very expensive for someone that just wants to fly around his back yard or the city park.

GPS would be good because it could tell you where your new toy went if you lose it.

This guy was puzzled about where his drone went until the Secret Service found it for him. On the White House lawn.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/26/politics/white-house-device-se...

Just another reason not to drink and fly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/27/white-house-drone-d...

What a wondefull idea,those stupid drone !!!! one more reason to have Post office worker delivery out of a job.do you really want a drone to fly over your head ? who know what is going to drop..

That is the problem today with this world, come up with a new invention today, Cry wolf tomorrow.

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Make hefty fines for going in no go areas, or flying too close to people. They have serial numbers so can be traced in most cases back to owners. Just like Ham radio, responsible RC operators will turn in dirt bag operators.

Absolutely!

Someday the skies will be filled with Google Earth drones, Highway Patrol drones, and Neighborhood Watch drones, etc.

Then we'll be living right!

Would it be illegal to use a slingshot to hit a drone?

Yes, if that "drone" did not belong to you.

Would it be illegal to use a slingshot to hit someone else's car?

sl4gps61 raises an interesting question. What are your legal rights if a drone were to hover over your house at low altitude perhaps taking pictures thru windows?

My gut reaction would be to shoot first and ask the question later.

This interesting article may shed some light on the subject:

https://gigaom.com/2014/10/01/can-you-shoot-down-a-drone-on-...

It should be noted that this incident happened in NJ which has very strict gun laws.

There is actually quite a bit on the net about the subject:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/aviation/would-you-shoot-...
and
http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2013/03/why-a-drone-can-h...

Apparently, if you do shoot down an invading drone, you may have to shoot the drone owner and his lawyer as well.

I suspect they will be no more challenging than pheasant

If you have a stalker he could watch every move you make with a drone....

Wow, That sounds like a song!!! (LOL)

That would then be his problem.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-gate-bridge-officials-fea...

http://www.cbsnews.com/drones/

Some interesting photos:
http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/world-of-drones/

It would be nice to see a few news articles on the good things drones can do for a change instead of vilifying them.

You should first have to have a security background check.

You should have to have a course in safety and flying and receive a Drone License just like a private pilot has to have.

To buy a drone you should have to have a Drone Licence.

There should be a Drone National Data Base (government) where the drone is registered along with the license of the owner.

If only because there seems to be many fools out there who are flying these devices where they really shouldn't. BTW, I don't put these devices in the same class as model planes; for the most part those seem to be operated by responsible people who understand they can be dangerous and don't fly them over places like the White House. Just this morning on WBZ radio in Boston, there was a story about the massive problem they are having at the Golden Gate Bridge with drones flying over, under and THROUGH the bridge out there. One has already crashed in traffic on the deck. The bridge official commented on what may have happened if that drone had crashed into someone's windshield. It's only a matter of time until someone is injured or killed by one and then the regulations MAY follow. They (regulations) likely WILL follow when a drone owner is finally held liable for a death or injury from their drone and are sued right off the face of the earth for millions. I think eventually, the masses will revolt and start batting at them or shooting them out of the sky or stomp them if they land.

Drones have already been spotted flying around airports, how long will it be before there's a collision? I am a pilot and we're already dealing with lasers being pointed at us...very dangerous, especially at night. A drone hitting a small plane over an airport or densely populated area would be a disaster.

After you bring it down, if possible find the owner and educate him in the ways of civilization

We allow these same fools to

Drive
Vote
Procreate

And we, the population at large, many times end up financially supporting those affected by the actions of the same fools!

I support the Darwin awards.. Unfortunately, in my opinion, while there are many legitimate cantidates, too few actually attempt to be nominated so there aren't enough given out!!!

Thankfully, the introduction of T-Ray devices on cell phones will eventually render many of the drones used for peeping obsolete. Why bother flying over walls when you can look right through them?

we need to be seriously considering banning drone, regulating drones and/or GPS tracking chips.

It's a shame some people see the need to fly drones near airport and the white house.

Can't believe how stupid some people are.

Too many more idiots and people buying drones will need some kind of license or permit.

It's really a simple fix...

Publicize the name and address of every person that buys a drone..

Then put a boy 99th on their head when they fly it.

It appears even firefighters don't like drones:

http://petapixel.com/2015/06/05/firefighters-try-to-shoot-do...

The drone owner plans to bill the fire company for his damaged equipment. It will be interesting to see if he collects.

Drones are however helping officials during the Denver flooding.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/06/05/drones-help-denver-pub...

Good luck on trying to collect. There are rules (not necessarily written) about filming at a disaster site while it is happening. One of the cardinal rules is to stay out of the way. If the firefighters were able to spray the drone with their hoses it must have been close enough to them to constitute a hazard with the threat of striking a firefighter while in the performance of their duties.

The drone owner should consider himself fortunate he isn't being charged for reckless endangerment.

I think drones are cool and useful when used by responsible people, but I think they also have a future of potential abuse and there should be some way to defend against them when they are used to invade the privacy of your property.

Neither does posting in this tread ... does that mean it should be banned?

They've tried banning booze and still ban automatic weapons. So what did it accomplish? The crooks still get what they want, the law-abiding citizen don't.

RT

... there are way too many close calls with full size airplanes with these things with people doing stupid things. Because of their relatively small size, pilots can't see them in the air early enough to avoid - avoidance becomes a matter of pure luck. Ranks right up there with targeting airplanes with lasers for fun.

No legitimate purpose!!
I fly my drone every weekend near the beach where I live for the amazing photos of nearby islands and just God's beautiful creation. I fly beneath the maximum, not near airports or flight paths and not around anyone's property.
Our Constitution says "...the pursuit of happiness". I derive great pleasure from flying my drone and I do it responsibly. I'm tired of a government with the likes of Bloomberg, Schumer et al who seek to regulate everything, like the size of my soft drink, etc..
Real Americans like to think for themselves and don't care for the nanny state philosophy of the Left. What is wrong with so many people that they seek so much governmental intrusions into their lives (speed, red light cameras, etc..) For safety? - yeah how naive! It's revenue period!!!
It's an incontrovertible fact that Alcohol has caused an incredible amount of damage in our society. Yet we have stopped punishing everyone for the misdeeds of a few. Lets use same approach with drones; the operator is responsible for his drone and must pay any penalty for its misuse. I and other responsible drone users accept the reasonableness of that. Punish the drunk driver - not the responsible drinker who doesn't get behind the wheel.

Thank you Diesel for your comment. I wish that everyone concerned about drones could read your post. No one has said it better. Thank you.

we had CB's and had to get a license to operate it. There was a small fee and a quick test, then you got your Call letters..

Was ok but many still used the CB's without doing this.. FCC really did not do anything about it but the reasonable ones still did get one (me included)

After a while, I guess FCC gave up and said if your operating a CB, you no longer need a call sign.

Many drones are equipped with FPV (First Person View) systems; or transmitted video for their cameras. Many, if not most, of the third-party video transmitters require a 'technician-class' ham radio license to be legal. How many drone pilots tested and received this ham license specifically for their video-equipped drone (wasn't already a ham)?

And as far as operating a drone irresponsibly, you can't ban STUPIDITY ... it's always going to be there.

RT

Um... I'm not arguing with you or picking a fight.. But can you provide a citation for your statement??

Oh, and getting a technician class amature ticket these days is little more than taking a couple of simple tests.. Nothing like the old days where you actually had to study and know some real electronics, propagation theory, antenna theory and that ever intimidating dit-dit dah-dah morrse code!

Well Barney, it will depend on the transmitter used by the camera. Most of them operate in the Amateur frequency bands so they are required to be licensed under(I believe) Part 87 of the FCC Rules and Regulations. Some may be in the U-NII frequencies which is where Wi-Fi and many other unlicensed devices reside.

P.S. I'm just too lazy to look up the correct section of the Rules. I work primarily in Parts 90 and 101.

There are Family Bands and other Freq that are limited in power and range that are wide open, no licence
http://www.horizonhobby.com/SearchDisplay?searchTerm=SPMFPV&...

As I was buying parts for my 6 foot scratch built Delta Queen ferryboat at my local hobby store I noticed their display of drones for sale. I must confess that I have a drone. It is about 8 inches small and must use the USB port to recharge the battery.
I thought I was good so I went outside and tried it. I almost lost it for it flew into my neighbors back yard and only fast thinking by me saved it from his dog. I then did my practice in my house.
As I understand the rules any flying object going over 400 feet high must register with the FAA. An article in last weeks local paper listed the companies registered with the FAA in Iowa authorized to fly drones higher than the 400 foot limit.
Most of the posts here talk about the violators and not enough about the good.
Farmers can check their fields in a day flying under the 400 foot limit instead of walking the fields.
Ranchers can quickly find their range livstock without having to traverse over hill under dale.
As I was drooling over the drones, I was dissapointed that the model I wanted was going to cost me $1000. Now if I could only find women sunbathing in the nude in their back yards close by which would make this purchase possible.
I guess I shall waste money on my Delta Queen for "My Boomerang Wont Come Back"
Police and fire departments can quickly check a situation without endangering people.

Yeah, it's either part 87 or 97 I can't recall either.. Why would they put cameras in these things that would require an fcc license to run... Seems like it limits the sales opportunity..

I don't recall anything that allows the use of the frequencies by anyone not licensed regardless of transmitter power..

Under Part 90 a dealer is not supposed to sell a transmitter without the buyer having a license and the buyer either has to provide (show) the license or provide the call sign so it can be checked. As I don't work in the Amateur bands, I'm not certain what the rules state. It's quite likely the same but is not being enforced.

I don't know what you mean by 'citation'; but if you're wanting proof, just search the internet. It's a well known fact among the RC family, especially the drone guys. It's also a well know fact that most video-equipped drone operators do not have a license.

A good place to start searching is rcgroups.com
Another thread to read is:
http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?3229-What-are-the-...
What is mentioned most often is Part 15, which is summarized as:
"Only the legal license free devices will all have an FCC ID sticker somewhere on them - any RF device that doesn't, and claims to be license free, probably is not legal." I haven't seen all 5.8GHZ RC FPV video transmitters, and some probably do, but I have never seen one with a FCC ID sticker.

You're correct, getting a technicians class ham license isn't that difficult, another reason one should get one when it's required.

RT

Note: Check out the first line under 'Features' in the following link to a 600mw RC FPV video transmitter where it says "HAM Radio license is required to operate".
http://www.amain.com/rc-drones/immersionrc-600mw-5.8ghz-audi...

I think they should not be banned, now airspace around airports is another thing , flying around the white house is also a bad idea

Key Features

•Works with 5.8GHz Fat Shark Head Sets
•Powered Separately or by Aircraft Battery
•No 2.4GHz RC Interference
•No FCC License Required
•Installs in Seconds
•Signal Range Suitable for Ultra Micro RC Aircraft

Now professional drones need special certs and license. but hobby not yet. Heck I Velcro a cam on all my Heli's, get some great shots. The heli blades are something I'd be more worried about then the cam. You need to keep them a safe distance from people. Even a small heli (18") could seriously injure or kill and wind, hiccups can happen where you lose control

trolling??

Chinese officials are using high tech drone equipment to fight high tech exam cheaters:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/08/china-deploys-d...

Saw that story about the Chinese using them to fight cheats. Since everything is made in China anyway they would just have to get one from the factory.

All "intentional radiators" of RF energy must be certified by the FCC and have a registration number permanently attached to the device. Hobby Shops and others selling transmitting equipment that is not type accepted are subject to large fines. Ordering non type accepted equipment from China puts the responsibility on the user.

Which leads us back around the circle to where if it is registered under Part 15 (unlicensed) of the rules, it is only workable in the UMX or Ultra-micro scale drones or aircraft as its range is just a few hundred feet. The equipment requiring a license to operate will have a range of a thousand feet or more.

After much research, I'm putting my money on what both the manufacturer and retailer say about their products; i.e. a "Ham License is required to operate" their 600mw RC FPV 5.8GHZ video transmitters (see previous links). That's the safe bet! It's also backed up by many links on RC forums, who are much more knowledgeable on this subject.

When it comes to ‘being legal’, unsupported opinions just don't cut it.

RT

Sure the commercial Drones need special license's to pilot and radio gear, probably more the Ham as Ham is Amateur only. But the Hobby Drones, we mostly call them quads, work in non license freq and some are rated to 1600' range. I'm getting one soon that I can fly direct stick (don't have to reverse because of direction of bird)has GPS so I can fly it out and I can let it fly home by itself if I want plus it stays 30' from transmitter for safety. They've come a long way the last few years

It's been a really ling time but I tend to remember, on remote control devices, the call sign must be a fixed to both the transmitter and the receiver device..

Thanks for the info...

I agree! My 870 will turn one of those drones to dust very fast.

I have found nothing to support the distance limit, or the "Hobby Drones" exemption to a license requirement. In addition, the manufacturer and retailer's posted statement that a 'ham license is required to operate' makes no such distinction. (Remember, we're talking third-party, 600mw, FPV video transmitters operating in the 5.8GHZ band)

Until some documentation is shown that supports these theories, I plan on playing it safe and make sure I'm legal.

RT