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In Ireland, All RC and Drones Over 1kg To Be Registered (suasnews.com)

New submitter charliehotel writes: The Irish Aviation Authority announced that it will have its drone registry up and running by December 21st this year. This registry will be the first of its kind in Europe, and the Irish Aviation Authority will require all RPA / drones that weigh over 1kg to be registered; this includes model aircraft. I hope that the U.S.'s gathering storm of regulation doesn't start quite that small.

70 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. The US will start smaller by Jay+Maynard · · Score: 2

    According to this story at AvWeb, the US registry will require registration of all drones over 250 grams.

    At least it will be free and simple, according to the story.

    --
    Disinfect the GNU General Public Virus!
    1. Re:The US will start smaller by goombah99 · · Score: 2

      that actually seems reasonable to me something over half a pound going 30 miles an hour could do some damage. Simply having to register heavier drones seems like threshold to encourage less hazards in the sky.,

      --
      Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    2. Re:The US will start smaller by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 4, Funny

      that actually seems reasonable to me something over half a pound going 30 miles an hour could do some damage. Simply having to register heavier drones seems like threshold to encourage less hazards in the sky.,

      Pfft This is just step on in taking our drones away from us. Soon the jack booted thugs will be busting into our houses at night to relive os of our rightful property.

      Well, they can take my drone when they pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.

      Jon the NDA today!

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    3. Re:The US will start smaller by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      It's all good. The incentive to develop little bitty drones will compensate.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    4. Re:The US will start smaller by operagost · · Score: 1

      But it's not free. A multi-million dollar project will have to be initiated, and probably at least 30 permanent employees added to the federal payroll.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    5. Re:The US will start smaller by kbg · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Wait! Let me get this straight. If you own a 250 gram toy drone you need to register it because it could be dangerous?
      But if you own an assault rifle with 100 round magazine you don't need to register it. Yes, only in America.

    6. Re:The US will start smaller by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Not many have assault rifles. You know a semiautomatic rifle is not an assault rifle, right?

    7. Re:The US will start smaller by TWX · · Score: 1

      Wait! Let me get this straight. If you own a 250 gram toy drone you need to register it because it could be dangerous?

      But if you own an assault rifle with 100 round magazine you don't need to register it. Yes, only in America.

      False equivalency. Besides, many argue for even stronger regulations on firearms, they simply are not able to bring those arguments to fruition.

      RC aircraft are being regulated because of the abuses that have been carried out through the operation of RC aircraft. The desire to regulate firearms comes from the abuses that have been carried out through the operation of firearms. They do not compare, they are each their own specific situation, with only one well known example of overlap.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    8. Re:The US will start smaller by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 4, Informative

      Wait! Let me get this straight. If you own a 250 gram toy drone you need to register it because it could be dangerous?
      But if you own an assault rifle with 100 round magazine you don't need to register it. Yes, only in America.

      No all legal assault rifles owned by civilians are registered in the US and require a in depth background check by the FBI and a tax stamp, gun dealer licence, and large transfer fees. Assault rifles are full automatic (pull trigger bullets fly until you let go), what are unregistered is semi-automatic (one pull one bullet) and manual (pump action, lever action, etc), semi-automatic and manual require a background check and often a waiting period, unless you have a concealed carry permit in that state or dealer licence (in which cases you have already passed the background checks). The only firearms that do not require a background check at some stage are black powder firearms in most states.

      Additionally we have a constitutional provision protecting right to own firearms. But we have no such constitutional protection for ownership of RC toys.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    9. Re:The US will start smaller by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      There is a famous (infamous?) movie where one party was asked to lay down the gun and it answered with:
      pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.
      The other party answered: "That proposal is aceptable!"

      As it had no use for the gun and did not care to wait till the corpse was cold, it just moved on.

      Bonus points if you know the movie, I actually liked it ;)

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    10. Re:The US will start smaller by mobby_6kl · · Score: 1

      A lot of things can cause some damage. Like a 80kg guy riding a bicycle on the sidewalk. But we don't require bicycle registration for some reason.

    11. Re:The US will start smaller by SuneSpeg · · Score: 1

      A football weights more and goes faster, fortunately they dont have to be registered. I think a better approach would be to regulate where you can fly. I just started on RC flying in Denmark, we have regulations that says you cant fly 5km from an airfield, above 100meter or near streets,near accidents and some other rules that ought to be common sense for most. If it was mandatory to register as RC pilot first, and complete a simple rc-license-test , i think the growing number of accidents could be reduced dramatically , with little impact of those who fly by the rules.

    12. Re:The US will start smaller by radarskiy · · Score: 2

      You need a gun to shoot down unregistered drones.

    13. Re:The US will start smaller by leonbev · · Score: 1

      You would be amazed how many people do NOT know this. I guess that's what happens when the only things you know about firearms are the sound bites you hear on CNN every time there is a mass shooting somewhere.

    14. Re:The US will start smaller by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      It's all good. The incentive to develop little bitty drones will compensate.

      Indeed. There will soon be plenty of 249 gm drones ... with optional battery packs and cameras sold separately.

    15. Re:The US will start smaller by tompaulco · · Score: 1

      Wait! Let me get this straight. If you own a 250 gram toy drone you need to register it because it could be dangerous? But if you own an assault rifle with 100 round magazine you don't need to register it. Yes, only in America.

      I'm pretty sure that the armed forces DOES register all of their assault rifles.

      --
      If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
    16. Re:The US will start smaller by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      that actually seems reasonable to me something over half a pound going 30 miles an hour could do some damage.

      Should I also register a softball or baseball, while they are more like 150g, they can be thrown much faster than 30mph.

      (weird that we're mixing two systems of measurement)

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    17. Re:The US will start smaller by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Ah, but not as much damage as a 80kg guy on a bicycle falling out of the sky!

      Nor as much as damage a 120 kg guy to a box of pastries.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    18. Re:The US will start smaller by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I was talking about guns in general

      The only mention of a firearm that you made in your post was about "an assault rifle with 100 round magazine". That doesn't sound like "guns in general". It sounds like emotional hyperbole.

      a gun is a gun and is dangerous

      Yes, but different categories of guns have different tendencies of use. Examples: Manual is justifiable for sport and hunting. A small semi-auto weapon is justifiable for self-defense. A fully-automatic weapon is justifiable for warfare.

      Besides you can always add slide fire to turn it into automatic.

      Not legally, you can't. At that point, you may as well claim that you can carry a concealed pistol on your person in any country that you care too. Perhaps you "can", but you'll have broken the law in many of those places.

  2. US regulation? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 2

    >> Irish Aviation Authority announced that it will have its drone registry up and running by December 21st

    In the US, this would take seven years and $15B to build. And then it still wouldn't work.

    “The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is its inefficiency.”

    1. Re:US regulation? by Nidi62 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      >> Irish Aviation Authority announced that it will have its drone registry up and running by December 21st

      In the US, this would take seven years and $15B to build. And then it still wouldn't work.

      Nope, but it will still have worked as intended. It will have funneled millions of dollars to contractors, guaranteed a bureaucrat or 2 a lucrative job after government life, and added a few more dollars to the reelection coffers of a few Congressmen.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    2. Re:US regulation? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      I am so looking forward to this. Finally, a project worthy of my Microsoft Access skills!

      I'm going to hunt up the RFP now.

      Or should I write it in Lotus Notes?

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    3. Re:US regulation? by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Interesting idea, how much would Ireland cost the US? We can probably find enough credit for the purchase.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  3. Why? by EzInKy · · Score: 2

    How does it benefit you not to have regulations that prevent devices from buzzing about over your head? In my mind there should be no weight minimums. I simply do not want these things flying around without well enforced rules.

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
    1. Re:Why? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      How does it benefit you not to have regulations that prevent devices from buzzing about over your head? In my mind there should be no weight minimums. I simply do not want these things flying around without well enforced rules.

      Safety culture is strong in you.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    2. Re:Why? by bobbied · · Score: 1

      How does it benefit you not to have regulations that prevent devices from buzzing about over your head? In my mind there should be no weight minimums. I simply do not want these things flying around without well enforced rules.

      So.. You want to force the registration of paper airplanes in the office now? I understand your idea, but I'm a bit confused as to how you intend to write a law that's reasonable and meets your criteria.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    3. Re:Why? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How does it benefit you not to have regulations that prevent devices from buzzing about over your head?

      It benefits me because I like flying 'em.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    4. Re:Why? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

      But Regulation also stops amazon from using them with rules or can lead to a big fine if they try to by pass the Regulations by using 1099 workers

    5. Re:Why? by EzInKy · · Score: 1

      Companies can fire people for such absurd behavior, regular homeowners can not.

      --
      Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
    6. Re:Why? by EzInKy · · Score: 1

      It is the drone owners who are forcing this on all of us, so the costs should be totally placed on them with licensing fees and fines for violating property and privacy rights. Really, none of this would be necessary if drone operators would just fly under the conditions you specify. So many though seem to think that they are entitled to fly their toys wherever they like.

      --
      Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
    7. Re:Why? by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      No, regulation makes sure that only qualified (see Government / Corporate) uses are allowed. People for gun control aren't against guns, they are against normal people having guns.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    8. Re:Why? by Solandri · · Score: 1

      If the regulation is unenforceable (i.e. half the kids get a drone for Christmas), then it's a bad thing to have it on the books. The government will then use selective enforcement to punish people they don't like, rather than enforcing in a fair and evenhanded manner. The regulation then becomes a means for the government to control the population, when in fact the population should be controlling the government.

    9. Re:Why? by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

      Futaba is still around as are my many planes I built in the 70's and 80's. I still build them, and model rockets too. I probably have close to 30 model airplanes still in existence. Most are not currently flyable, but 5-10 hours and some glue would fix that.

    10. Re:Why? by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

      RC (drone) gliders do not buzz. They're also capable of thermaling and staying in the air for hours.

  4. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I don't let my dog drive, license or no license.

  5. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    the net effect however is that the proliferation of heacy dornes will be reduced even iff there are scofflaws. And that's the desired outcome.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  6. in my country making paper plane is illegal by vlad.vul · · Score: 1

    Glad to hear they excluded planes below one kg. In some countries, making paper plane is illegal because airplane laws have no exclusions. You shold have license. Dot.

    1. Re:in my country making paper plane is illegal by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Name one

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  7. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by EzInKy · · Score: 1

    Which is why in many jurisdictions owners of unlicensed dogs are fined many times more when there animals are out of control than owners of those that are licensed. This idea that idiots can fly their drones wherever they want really needs to be nipped in the bud now. And, from the gist of the comments here, the punishments for violations should be extremely harsh if their attitude of entitlement to the skies is to be curtailed.

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
  8. In Ireland third party insurance will be required by ickleberry · · Score: 1

    Maybe not now but when this law is revised. After that annual airworthiness testing, certification. Drone operators will be required to pay €200 to listen to some guy telling you not to fly a drone into a child walking down the street.

    You'll be able to meet all these requirements by handing over a tidy sum of money to companies set up by friends of the politicians bringing in these drone laws. This is how Ireland works. Behind every law there is a backhander and a gravy train.

  9. Dead Wrong by clifwlkr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Actually, it is about having fun flying as well. Modern Phantom 3 devices can be flown FPV (First Person View), which opens up a whole new world compared to the old RC planes where you can only fly short distances. If flown safely in safe areas, there is little risk that these drones can cause. If any plane if flying below 400 feet over anywhere, they sure as heck better be extra cautious anyways, as there are all kinds of hazards there, of which the random drone is the least of their problems.

    Also, there are people like me who use them more for the photographic and video opportunities. Not spying on people like some pervert. That is like saying we should register cameras cause some sickos use them to take spy pictures in bathrooms. That is the vast minority. Do you want to know what most of us do? Here is a great example and explain to me how I could ever catch this scenery any other way:
    Drone Flight in Utah Desert
    It is just like any hobby. There will be people who abuse it, and the vast majority of people who are just having fun. I am not that paranoid about people spying on me with drones to ban the entire hobby. The real point is registration will do nothing to stop it. People like myself already put their phone numbers on their planes so if lost, there is a chance they will come back to me. The people who are the problems will not do anything. More tax dollars to a solution to nothing.

    1. Re:Dead Wrong by Stewie241 · · Score: 1

      I think we're past the point of registering just cameras. What we should instead be doing is requiring and enforcing registration of smartphones and any devices with a camera, and requiring any video recording device to watermark incoming images so that you can identify exactly which device took a particular picture. This would solve all sorts of problems from photo copyright to child pornography. You would be able to tell exactly which device was used to take a picture and find out who the first distributor was.

      There are obviously lots of holes that you have to fill in on the way there - you would have to stop the momentum towards open hardware and software - no more letting ordinary people install custom software on their phones willy nilly. Custom ROMs are leading to the devastation of our society. Custom apps need to be tightly controlled to avoid people developing software to workaround the watermarking (though maybe it is best to just ban them outright).

      Any software capable of loading and transmitting a file needs to be tightly controlled so that we know exactly who is sending these images where.

      It is ridiculous that with the state of technology today we still allow people to run arbitrary software on personal computers and devices. We need to lock all this down before the harm to society is irreversible.

    2. Re:Dead Wrong by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      Why not, when we catch one of those Child Molesting perverts simply toss them into General Population ? Instead we protect them from the consequences of their own actions by giving them "special" treatment. I have no problem letting prison justice work itself out.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  10. Not Going to Fly... by bobbied · · Score: 1

    Where I applaud the Irish for their effort (and whiskey and red hair), I'm not sure how this is really going to work.

    1. Having a registry available by December 21st seems very aggressive.

    2. The privacy concerns of those registering seems to be an unaddressed concern with the whole process.

    3. I'm not aware of any penalties for not registering, or violating any of the IAA rules.

    4. Who knows how much this will cost? Are there registration fees? Is it per aircraft or per operator or what?

    5. Who's got the responsibility for enforcement? Do they have the resources to actually do enforcement?

    This whole idea seems to be just a voluntary "Please register with us!" idea which is pretty much pointless. It won't force anybody to register, it won't force anybody to actually know or follow the existing rules, especially the idiots who insist on doing stupid things. What you really need is ENFORCEMENT, quick and harsh, for folks who insist on being stupid. A couple of test cases and the PR they would bring will do more to help the problem than all the rules and laws you can pass.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    1. Re:Not Going to Fly... by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      >> What you really need is ENFORCEMENT

      What the government would prefer is an orderly cash flow from the millions sheeple who register so they can spend it on something else.

      It's not like any local police department will ever get involved in enforcement of unlicensed drones. They already have the tools they need to deal with nuisance situations, of which "being a dangerous ass with a drone" is just a particular type.

      >> It won't force anybody to register

      They won't go after consumers, any more than asking consumers to "please pay your state sales tax for things you bought online" ever worked. Instead, they'll focus on the points of sale, so you'll have to kick in your fee when you buy the drone, and part of the fee registration process will allow the government to hit you up for renewals, etc.

    2. Re:Not Going to Fly... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      For lots of things we don't have a real enforcement in europe.
      You get cought sooner or later, and if the problem is server enough they proclaim, you are violating rules since you started having the device. Then you have to show that you did not.

      E.g. you have to declare that you are brewing beer, 200l per year is tax free.
      You did not declare it and you are brewing provable more than 200l this year. By checking your machine building year they figure you own it minimum 5 years.
      So you get fined for not having declared your intention to brew beer for minimum 5 years and you get taxed for an amount they simply 'estimate' based on the amount of beer you could have breewed with that machine ofer that time, or an estimate in the bottles they find or on your bills for buying hops.

      Sonner or later everyone gets cought, no need to have a police state checking in every few weeks to see if you actually operate an RC air craft.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    3. Re:Not Going to Fly... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Pretty much this. The elephant in the room is DJI - the manufacturer of the Phantom series of drones, arguably the most popular drone around. And one which weights 1.3 kg with battery and rotors. DJI has a lot of money invested. They want to play nice and would fall over themselves to force a registration at time of sale. They would even pay for it themselves.

      Set it up in Ireland, debug the issue and now you can register (most) drones without even thinking about it.

      'Pssst, buddy.... wanna buy an unregistered Phantom?'

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    4. Re:Not Going to Fly... by Jack+Griffin · · Score: 1

      I didn't even RTFA but can probably answer most of those questions with guesses.
      If the Aviation Authority is responsible for the implementation, then copy and paste your questions to any other regulations in place by the same organisation and you will have your answers.
      Implementing new regulations is not new to them. This is their job.

  11. When drones are criminalized... by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    When drones are criminalized, only criminals will have drones...

    Therefore, open season , bitches!

    *grin*

  12. Pffft by felixrising · · Score: 1

    Building a drone, over 1KG, and in the USA, over 250g! is trivial... Requiring registration for people's toys is idiotic (what are they going to do, attach a sticker?! to what easily replaceable part?) and unwarranted (how many actual drones - excluding military - have been involved in actual accidents with aircraft? none).

  13. Good, it's a big f-ing drone by iamacat · · Score: 1

    If a 1kg drone falls on my head, it will likely kill me. I am very much interested in knowing who has these, where they are allowed to fly and what is the maintenance record.

  14. Re:So much butthurt by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

    Model rockets over 1.5kg have to get a specific wavier with location, time of flight, size, impulse and receive a specific waiver (and have a NOTAM filed) from the FAA every single time we fly. Suck it up, buttercup.

    Model rockets that weigh over 1.5 kg (hopefully) go much further than the 400 vertical feet drones are limited to. And they go much faster. Yes, in those cases it is definitely appropriate for the rocketeers to tell other people using the airspace that something is going up very quickly. For the smaller drones, not so much.

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  15. AR vs flying hazards and pervs by harvey+the+nerd · · Score: 1

    Most people are not live firing their assualt rifles up and down the street in the their urban neighborhoods every weekend. No AR owners are looking at my daughter sunbathing in our atrium through their gunsights. No one sees weekly reports of AR being dropped from a height on passersby. There are traceable gun records for original shop sales, too.

    1. Re:AR vs flying hazards and pervs by Morgon · · Score: 1

      Please provide evidence that everyday people using quadcopters are using them to "look at your daughter".
      If we base everything on "what ifs", we'd have absolutely nothing.

      --
      [DISCLAIMER: This post is a work of satire and should not be misconstrued as a holy text upon which to base a religion.]
  16. Legislating on a phantasm by Max_W · · Score: 1

    There is not a single serious accident involving a drone. The one which you can see on youtube is a fake.

    At the same time about a million and a half people die each year in traffic accidents. http://www.who.int/gho/road_sa... About 20 million wounded. These are the figures of the World War 3, and they continue to grow. And what we see - cars and motorcycles are getting even more overpowered and overweight. Streets and roads are overcrowded by cars.

    At the same time delivery by drones could free roads and streets and save millions of lives.

  17. What does the registry do? by Macdude · · Score: 1

    What is the point of the registry?

    Is it better for me if the person using a drone to spy on me mowing my lawn has a registered drone? Is my privacy being invaded more if it's not registered?

    If you're going to say that we would be able to track down the person responsible if a drone is used to take down a plane you're lying. A drone used in such a manner would be homemade, unregistered, stolen or the registration markings would have been removed. The registration database would be completely useless.

    The registration is just the government being control freaks and not happy that someone is able to do something without their express permission.

    "Drones, Oooo scary. We need to do something, this is something, we need to do it".

    --
    "Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
  18. Re:So much butthurt by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

    Model rockets that weigh over 1.5 kg (hopefully) go much further than the 400 vertical feet drones are limited to

    Drones are not limited technically to 400 feet. Many of the more advanced (but still reasonably affordable) drones can easily do 500+ feet without much effort. The 400 foot "limit" is FAA guidance that doesn't constitute legal advice - if you're being an idiot at 100 feet, the FAA can still prosecute you for reckless flying. (Including flying your drone into people)

  19. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by Max_W · · Score: 1

    You did not mention that dogs leave unhygienic substances on sidewalks. These substances play a role in spreading dangerous for humans parasites, which cost each of us 3 - 5 years of life time. At least UAVs are using clean electric power.

  20. Re:R/C and drone? by tompaulco · · Score: 1

    I was under the impression that "drone" is merely the pop-culture term for "R/C", as they were called up to about 5 years ago before the Hollywood Nightly News decided to re-term it.

    All of the things that people are flying are RC. I believe a drone would be autonomous. I am not sure if such a thing exists, and if it does, it is probably only in the military.

    --
    If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
  21. Re:RESPONSIBILITY, or lack of, that is the real is by tompaulco · · Score: 2

    RC pilots were responsible. Planes and copters were safely flown in designated areas.
    This legislation is only necessary because the day of the responsible RC pilot are now gone. Now we have irresponsible RC pilots (because they aren't drones, they are RC craft) who want to fly their toys around airports, in other people's yards, interfere with emergency operations, and any number of other intrusive and dangerous behaviors.
    They believe that people in public (ie, their own backyard surrounded by a privacy fence) should have no privacy, but if you tell them they need to register their drone, then it is "But!, But! My PRIVACY!".

    --
    If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
  22. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    It's like paying a license for your dog; once you license it, they've got you every year.

    Or registering a firearm, once they know you have one it makes it easy to confiscate them all later. And you get to pay for the priviledge.

    (hopefully people recognize hyperbole when they see it)

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  23. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    that sounds equivalent to never registering it at all.

    you could go to a junk yard and buy a scrap car and drive it around without registering it. until you're caught doing so.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  24. Re:R/C and drone? by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

    It costs about $60 to turn any rc plane (car or boat) into an autonomous vehicle. Basically an arduino and a $2.25 ebay gyro/magnetometer board and free open source software.

  25. Re:R/C and drone? by khellendros1984 · · Score: 1

    "Drone" is an ambiguous term. Some people might mean "any R/C aircraft". When I think of it, I think of the more-sophisticated varieties of multi-rotor copters (quad-, hexa-, and octo- copters) with cameras, either supporting recorded video an programmed, GPS-controlled, autonomous flight or first-person view video, giving the operator/pilot a real-time stream from the perspective of the vehicle. A non-autonomous vehicle, operated purely by line-of-sight, and without recording capabilities says "not a drone" to me.

    --
    It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  26. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

    Not nearly as much as birds

  27. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by khellendros1984 · · Score: 1

    I'd rather let my own behavior distinguish me from the "bad guys", just as I do in all the other parts of my life. If I'm not doing anything wrong, then there's no reason to force me to register anywhere.

    --
    It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  28. Re:So much butthurt by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1
    When I was 7 years old, I flew a bat kite up way over 500'. It was actually my friend's kite, but we pooled our money and bought 10 rolls of string (the kind that came on yellow cardboard tubes).

    We had 2000' of string and flew it once in a dust storm.

  29. Re:40 years and... by Jack+Griffin · · Score: 1

    An RC Helicopter is not a drone. But thanks for your contribution...

  30. Does this mean that... by easyTree · · Score: 1

    ...people are safe from being murdered by a US drone in Ireland?

  31. Re:Only outlaws will have drones by Max_W · · Score: 1

    Birds, at least wild life ones, live in forests, at sea cliffs, etc., i.e. where animals should live. But dogs walk exactly where humans do. Basically we are returning to early middle ages when the streets were used as sewer ditches. Certainly it caused epidemics. Nowadays there are antibiotics, but they will protect us not for long.