Slashdot Mirror
NBC News Reports US Will Require Registration For Consumer Drones (nbcnews.com)
Gizmodo and Engadget are both reporting (and both pointing to a report at NBC News) that the Department of Transportation is expected to announce Monday a plan to regulate drone use in the U.S., based on fears of danger to aviation. From the relied-on report at NBC News:
The federal government will announce a new plan requiring anyone buying a drone to register the device with the U.S. Department of Transportation, NBC news has learned. ... Under the plan, the government would work with the drone industry to set up a structure for registering the drones, and the regulations could be in place by Christmas.
That sounds like an impossible task, if it's to take in all remote-controlled flying devices that might be described as drones. About this time last year, Chris Anderson (ex-Wired editor, and now head of 3D Robotics) estimated that about half a million drones had already been sold in the U.S., and that sounds like an undercount even for then, given the many cheap-and-cheerful options. From suppliers like Banggood, tiny quadcopters can now be had for less than $20, though it's hard to think of them as a danger to aviation.
I'm going to be the rational minority in what will likely be a long, bloody thread, but I think this is a good move by the government. There were a few incidents, some in near my local airport where a drone came within the vicinity of operating aircraft. It sucks that a few bad apples ruined what would have been an enjoyable hobby, but it has to be regulated.
Much like everything in life, entitled morons do stupid things and everyone suffers.
Will I still have to register?
and/or nonsensical crap to scare rubes into voting Republican. Seriously, we don't even register guns in most places, you think we'll get drones registered? Then again, I could see businesses siding with this. Drone regulation is going to be important for several reasons. For example, put a camera on a drone and you can film a business pouring raw sewage into river water in violation of the law.
Still, I'm guessing this is a non-starter. Might rile up the base a little bit though.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
"Is there anything Americans aren't terrified of today?"
Europeans. They kicked their asses at home twice, then they came across the ocean to save them. American's fear Europeans the least with a proven record of ass beatings. It doesn't mean they don't like you, but they sure as hell will never fear them.
Anyone who thinks this is beyond the pale has obviously never piloted a plain before. I don't care if built the aviation device yourself by hand with spare Christmas decoration parts, if you're in the air you need to do your registration, paperwork, and file a flight plan. "Model airplanes" hadn't necessarily required licensing (so long as you stay below a certain height), but other aspects of it (like radio-telemetry) do.
So long as we're getting to a point where someone's "drone" is enough of a hazard to the conduct of real air operations, it makes perfect sense to nip this problem in the bud.
If there's an unmarked drone flying around, filming people, and doing God-knows-what-else, I want do be able to file a complaint with the FAA about it.
Hire a Linux system administrator, systems engineer,
it's societally acceptable that wingnuts can purchase a gun and then shoot innocent children
Proof?
Liberty.
Drones must be registered, but unlike in other nations, it's societally acceptable that wingnuts can purchase a gun and then shoot innocent children.
Really. Go shoot some children and see how acceptable that action is considered to be. You can also try running them down with a car, or stabbing them with knives ... it really doesn't matter. Same consequences. What was your point again? Oh, you want prior restraint. But only over things that you personally don't like, right, not when it comes to the things you personally might use to kill children... like, say, a pressure cooker?
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
You have the right to a reasonable amount of privacy on your own property. The fact that someone bought a drone does not grant them the privilege of violating your right to privacy.
I'm going to be the rational minority in what will likely be a long, bloody thread, but I think this is a good move by the government. There were a few incidents, some in near my local airport where a drone came within the vicinity of operating aircraft. It sucks that a few bad apples ruined what would have been an enjoyable hobby, but it has to be regulated.
I agree it's a good move, but it's not really about a danger to aviation so much as about terrorism. Drones are almost as good as self-driving cars would be at allowing suicide bombers to blow things up without the need for suicide. Small payload, but can still be turned into a flying death machine, and very common. If you require registration, not only do you have a better chance at tracking the owner of a drone, but you can do more to run the owners through watch lists and add drone ownership as another weight in an equation or neural net that is trying to spot people the government needs to worry about.
I know there are privacy issues, but if you were in charge of antiterrorism efforts, you'd be crazy not to want this.
Rc aircraft has been around for a long time. Now suddenly hobbyists are a threat to people? Everyone figured thats why the redesignation with drones. Either rc aircraft was to be made sounding more dangerous or military aircraft to sound more tame. Ps, whats with the advertisements on mobile that cover up the submit button.
God spoke to me
Is there anything Americans aren't terrified of today?
Guns. Drones must be registered, but unlike in other nations, it's societally acceptable that wingnuts can purchase a gun and then shoot innocent children. Because FREEDOM.
Guns and the worship of them is one of the direct manifestations of that fear.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
They're doing this because they're worried about the dangers - not from commercial aviation - but from drones being used as assassination tools.
Slap some explosives and shrapnel on a drone, fly it into a press conference, like: This and this. Maybe use a gun, like this.
Why make it easy and effectively untraceable for someone to do this when you can regulate it?
Won't stop someone dedicated, who can learn and make their own drone - but it sure as hell raises the bar on them if they want to stay anonymous.
I think there's a lot of politicians and bigwigs scared shitless over the possibility of citizens circumventing their massive security apparatus with such a simple device. They certainly know damned well just how unpopular they and their policies are, and their existing security just doesn't have any good way of stopping these things - though they're certainly working on it.
This is the same bs as with guns. Those who will fly those drones near airport will make damn sure to remove any serial number or registration mark. Criminals don't give a fuck about registration / regulation.
How will people be able to use drones to carry out remote executions at schools now?
@#$#@23
Good thing I fly sailplanes
Sir, I had to shoot, he was an unlicensed drone pilot.
I'm not sure how much of a problem there really is. I haven't researched it, but we don't hear much news on it so that leads me to wonder. Also an anecdotal story, but still: One of our students likes playing with drones and has a mid sized one with a camera. However, he lives near a military air base, and the airspace surrounding it is all controlled, as it is around any such installation. He doesn't want to get in trouble so he called them to try and obtain permission to fly his drone. ATC laughed and said given its size, they didn't care, if it was under 50 pounds they weren't concerned. They promised to talk to the base commander anyhow to try and get him permission, but felt it was a total non-issue.
So who knows, this may be more of a politicians wanting to Do Something(tm) and attacking some problem that exists more in their heads than in the world, particularly since it is easy and low impact.
As an amendment to this, bird will need to register their hatchlings.
So let me get this straight: You have to register a small flying device because it poses danger to people. But if you have a gun that can kill people you do not.
I have an idea: Take this regulation, replace every word "drone" with a the word "gun" and then you have a gun regulation.
I think we're not afraid of looking like idiots. Once again, I'm sorry for your loss. It's going to get worse before it gets better and then it may not actually get better at all.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
That way the NRA will fight for my right to have unfettered, unregulated access.
You can have my drone when you pry it from my cold, dead hands!
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
the Department of Transportation is expected to announce Monday
It's about time someone did that. Damn thing always sneaks up on me.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
False. You can easily get away with murdering a child in the US by running them down with your car. There won't even be an investigation.
You mean, if nobody sees you doing it? What are you saying?
There isn't a jurisdiction in the country where the death of a child (or anybody) at the hands of a driver isn't investigated (and, most often, prosecuted when it's not plainly an accident, like the child running out into traffic etc). Not sure what you think you're going to accomplish with this particular flavor of trolling. Odd.
Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
Just because you don't keep up with the news and aren't willing to use google doesn't make your ignorance of an established fact verify an idiotic conspiracy involving thousands of people:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/faa-records-detail-hundreds-of-close-calls-between-airplanes-and-drones/2015/08/20/5ef812ae-4737-11e5-846d-02792f854297_story.html
Guns and the worship of them is one of the direct manifestations of that fear.
To me this is eminently logical and rational and it annoys me when ignorant people make puerile comments about gun owners or those who choose to carry, suggesting for example that they are "compensating" or the like.
I suggest nothing. I state
Unfortunately, it's practically impossible to have a rational conversation about guns anymore in the United States due to extremes on both sides of the issue
As I have told many of them "When you cast everyone who doesn't agree with you 100 percent as an enemy, don't be too surprised when everyone ends up being your enemy.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
I once had a toy helicopter where you spun up the helicopter blades using an external motor then released a button and it flew up a few feet before coming down when the helicopter blades got too slow to sustain flight.
Would this require registration?
I'm sure you could design something similar that went up tens of feet before coming down - again, in a totally uncontrolled, no-RF/no-FCC-jurisdiction manner.
Subject to weight limitations you could put a camera or even a weapon on it.
Imagine if a bad guy used a "flies up 50 feet then comes down" type of non-controlled craft an put a couple of computer- or remote-operated laser-powerful-enough-to-blind-someone-permanently on it. He could go to a public event, launch the thing, then when the computer or laser-operator detected that the target was within the sights fire the lasers, resulting in the target being permanently blinded in one or both eyes.
By the way, yes, I know this is far easier to say than do. Even if such a weapon isn't practical today it probably will be within 10-20 years.
Getting away from the weapon aspect, one reason people don't like drones is the fear of photography. Substitute "laser weapons that have to be intentionally fired" for "a bunch of cameras that are recording in all directions for the duration of the flight" and you are talking something that (except for the "going 50 feet in the air based only on how fast the helicopter blades were spinning when it took off" part) could be done today.
Back to the question at hand:
Would such a device be considered a "drone" for legal purposes?
I would argue "no," in that it is neither being controlled nor is it converting any non-motion energy such as a battery or chemical propellant into motion-related energy. I would go so far as to compare it to an ordinary rock someone throws into the air, which is obviously not a drone for legal purposes.
Even if it were drawing energy from a battery or propellant I would argue that a device which is neither operated by person nor controlled by electronics or any other "intentionally decision-making device (such as a mechanical altimeter which, when a certain altitude is reached, causes a change in flight) is by definition not a drone.
-----
"LameDELTETHISness filter encountered:"
I tried to use the word contDELETETHISrolled too many times and hit that filter. I had to change it to "operated." That's lame.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
For now probably RUINING a hobby MILLIONS in the US enjoy! RC We've been SAFELY flying RC planes for decades because we fly AWAY from crowds, in controlled airspace, etc, but, now thanks to these idiots screwing around with a 50-500 dollar TOY they have no idea how to control, we'll get lumped into the same category as "drones". Requiring registration (fee), insurance(fee), license(fee) just to enjoy our hobby. Again, thanks a lot you morons!
So, you need a registration for all of the following (Really short list off the top of my head...)
- A Car
- A business
- To be able to sell life / home insurance
You do NOT need a registration for :
- A semi-automatic rifle capable of killing many people in a small period of time.
Welcome to 'Murika! We believe in FREE- DUMB! *facepalm*
Your mind is like a parachute. It works best when it's been opened.
Or in this case, the pudding is a steaming pile of shit.
Liberty.
I dont know how it is in the US but here in Australia the shelves of the toy stores are filled with flying machines of all sorts with names like Air Hogs and and Fast Lane.
There are even people out there trying to use various parts to build LEGO models that can actually fly off the ground.
Think of the Children!
Terrorists!
They're takin our Jerbs! Drones!
Is there anything Americans aren't terrified of today?
Looking down through the remarks here, it appears that one of the fearful is trying to assuage his fears by marking us all as trolls.
Sorry - it doesn't work, muchacho. You're still one cold flash away from peeing your pants. That silly little parrot drone has you in a cold sweat.
The right wing kook with his houseful of guns, the left wing asshole in their gated neighborhood, with their ADT protected house, and their safe room still don't feel safe, no matter what they do.
Americans have turned panphobia into a core competency.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
More laws for the citizens to pay for and the criminals to ignore.
They're not mine - it's not my hobby. But, you'll see... Have fun with that. Sorry for your loss if you're a hobbyist. You should have punched the idiots in the nuts. Now you're going to get all sorts of kneejerk regulations. You've been warned. I suspect you won't come back to admit your error in a few years. That's okay. I'm used to it.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
Hobbyists do not have police powers over other hobbyists; we could not legally punch anyone else in the nuts even if we knew what they were up to. Anyway, I'm not sure who to punch in the nuts over that report near Andrews Air Force about a drone which looked like a "large vulture". Do I punch the pilot? Probably has a sidearm, wouldn't be wise. Or do I punch the vulture? Which one? I can't really tell them apart and anyway they don't stick around to be punched.
Punch them all until you find the guilty party. It really sucks for you guys. Just stand outside of the hobby store or follow the Amazon deliveries and start randomly punching them in the nuts - you're bound to get your message across if you do it enough times and have enough helpers. *nods*
Oh, and if they're armed - don't punch them in the nuts. That's a bridge too far.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."