Ridiculous Proposal Courtesy of California

[DucktileMedia]

As a guy who got into this hobby pre DJI and now has nothing to do with it because of the embarrassment of being labelled a "phantom phucker" I can see the perks to somehow limiting the masses from getting ahold of a drone and doing whatever they please. Let's face it, this IS different than everyone owning a digital camera after film became obsolete. Lipos cause fires and drones are moving mass. We take cheaply made products from China and zip them around the skies however we please, it is inevitable that they will at some point cause some serious harm to full size aircraft and people on the ground. On one hand I feel like it's pretty typical that anything that can be taxed will be taxed. On this level I dont agree that any lucrative product is an excuse for the government to get involved. but I do believe we as a group need to be regulated. The license plate is not a bad idea really. If you buy a phantom and smack into someones face why cant you just run away? What if you cause a fire to someones property a mile away? Should you be able to just walk away from it not having anyone know who it belonged to? Hell no. It's got to the point where high tech toys are really not toys on some level. And i admit that almost anything can be used maliciously if that's the intent. We should regulate the sales of baseball bats too right? I have a much simpler solution to all of this. We absolutely need to implement a 100% import tax. We are not only giving our money to a country that could care less if we catch on fire but we are giving them control of our airspace! Sure they want to keep selling billions of $'s worth of plastic flying garbage to us. So what happens when we give all our money to China? Look at the stock market. Yes, this is 99% political. California needs money, for 1 if they want to prevent more idiots from flying RTF drones around while I am written up by the police for flying safely in front of my own house who has been building and flying for years-F em'! I am not on board with the idea that everyone should be able to do anything they want without having to show they put in the hours to do so safely.

 

[fltundra]

, for 1 if they want to prevent more idiots from flying RTF drones around while I am written up by the police for flying safely in front of my own house who has been building and flying for years-F em'! I am not on board with the idea that everyone should be able to do anything they want without having to show they put in the hours to do so safely.

Maybe you need to get out of CA. I have flown numerous hours testing in my front yard, local parks, schools, and police come by to check out my multi, not hassle me. Have not ever been approached in a negative way in FL by law enforcement in two years flying full time.

 

[Old Man]

I do believe a rational approach to limiting consumer drones is in order. Once they started selling something any 5 year old could fly they lowered the knowledge and skill set required to literally idiot levels.

However, IMO, "giving away the house" is not the way to go about it, nor is storing user information for later release to law enforcement the right way. That's simply ducking product liability for a condition that was manufacturer generated to begin with. You can't shut the barn door after the horse is out and hope to solve anything.

The solution is, as it has always been, educating the buyer before purchase in the myriad of aspects relative to the aircraft, and limiting max altitude and lateral distance to reasonable LOS distances and 400' AGL. Take waypoint flying away from consumer priced equipment, and reduce the power of hobby grade video equipment to that which meets FCC acceptance levels for an unlicensed user. If it doesn't have an FCC approved sticker simply don't sell it to someone that can't present their HAM license.

Secondly, present airspace restrictions in accordance with what's depicted on VFR Sectional charts. Don't make up imaginary controlled airspace by throwing a control zone over every private airstrip and lumber mill that calls them self a power plant because they generate a little bit of electricity during the curing process to offset their lumber processing electrical use and to benefit from special interest tax offsets.

As for California, I was born there 64 years ago and it has not been a friendly place for a very long time, almost totally due to it's government. I still own a home there but once it's paid off two years from now it will be sold and I'll be out of there for a state that does not believe they should control and tax every aspect of a person's life. California had become a state only out for power and revenue.

 

[ProfEngr]

OM, I agree with the education of the "Lo-Fo" consumer and some sort of accountability. They, along with the mfgr making it so easy for them, have caused quite a bit of trouble for the rest of us that just want to go out and have fun responsibly. I don't believe that there is any way that laws/regs can stop incidents from occurring. Best case is giving a course of restitution afterward.

On the transmitters that might be strong enough to raise the ire of the (bleh) FCC, if I did have one of those I'd want the signal encrypted to some level to block unintended viewing anyway. So sense in giving anyone a free tour of my property.

 

[Old Man]

Oh yea, encryption, funny you mention it. Spent a few years flying video payloads around in the sandbox using an encrypted openly available video frequencies. I guess everyone thought the people we were watching was stupid so it took a few years to figure out whatever we were watching they were watching too. If someone had a video receiver on the right frequency (found out a lot did) and had line of sight with the air vehicle they got to see the feed. I well remember one location where every time we got within 5 miles of the place it suddenly became deserted. Got that clue when another, higher flying encrypted system was monitoring the same place and we watched everyone go inside as we got close with our equipment several times. One day someone suddenly said "oh crap!" and digital encryption standards started getting developed.

 

[ProfEngr]

We had fun back in the 'big ugly dish' days watching the live, off-air feeds from the 1st Gulf war. Didn't take them long to scramble those however. A CNN anchor let his emotions get the better of him a few too many times.

 

[Old Man]

Amazing how some people react when the bullets and blood start making their presence known. The more "coddled" they are the less they can deal with it. Some live for the adrenaline high that comes with all of it, and it's a helluva a rush, while others just take it in stride.

 

[Old Man]

As for that legislator's concept of hanging a license plate on California drones, perhaps the feds already beat him to it with the drone registration rule. That registration number is in principle the same as a license plate. If that California bill passed would such affixing of a license plate then be extended to full scale aircraft? Now that would be fun to watch as the AOPA went after it.

One thing is clear, with all the state and federal attention being given to what we fly the need for a multirotor specific organization as a representative body becomes greater and greater. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see those organizations and people we thought were on our side are not there for us at all.