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FAA Admits Names & Addresses In Drone Registry Will Be Publicly Available (forbes.com)
Lauren Weinstein sends word about this admission by the FAA that has led many to have concerns about privacy. Forbes reports: "The FAA finally confirmed this afternoon that model aircraft registrants’ names and home addresses will be public. In an email message, the FAA stated: 'Until the drone registry system is modified, the FAA will not release names and address. When the drone registry system is modified to permit public searches of registration numbers, names and addresses will be revealed through those searches.'"
As a multirotor pilot I have have really had no qualms about this, right up until now. Now there is no way in hell I am going to sign up for this. I'll instead toss another 50 dollars to the AMA and hopefully THEY can inject some sanity into this mess.
At least from the FAA's point of view this will prevent any possible hacking/privacy leak scandals!
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
I don't know... Maybe I'm coming at this from a different perspective, but as a HAM radio operator, my base station address (and home address) is public information, and is easily searchable by call sign. If you want to use a public resource, whether airwaves or airspace, you need to be traceable. That's, in fact, the entire point.
Put another way, the privacy implications of having untraceable drones outweigh the privacy implications of being able to track down who's controlling them.
Hire a Linux system administrator, systems engineer,
I can be searched on the FCC's pages.
I can be searched on the FAA's pages.
TL;DR version - it's your choice to exercise this privilege and that privilege includes the cost of registration.
I'm not an apologist for the government. I rail against things that cut into my rights.
However, I recognize the difference between my rights that cops who stop me want to violate, and
privileges I choose to exercise.
These certificates I hold (amateur radio operator and commercial pilot)
are not RIGHTS in the United States, but rather PRIVILEGES which I've chosen to attain.
In the process of CHOOSING to attain both those certifications I could have chosen not
to give out private information (and not get the certificate) or, as I did, choose to give it out
in return for the privilege of using the airwaves and flying in the air.
When you choose to drive a vehicle on private property in this country you are not required
to hold a driver's license, be of a certain age, acquire and maintain liability insurance, nor
even have your vehicle registered. HOWEVER to use that same vehicle and driver on the
public roads all the laws and registrations must be followed. (Don't get me started on how
this is abused by governments...)
The national airspace system (NAS) is one such resource. If you intend to fly in it, you
must do so in a manner which is legal. Until this year that meant "Have a good time and
stay out of trouble." As of tomorrow that also means "get a tail number [not an N-number]
for your UAS[not drone]."
If you have made the choice to continue flying your UAS then if you wish to do so as per
the law you must register it, display the tail number, and have your information available
at the FAA -- and probably subject to search.
Merry Christmas,
Ehud Gavron
N5NEQ
CPL-H (Commercial Pilot - Helicopter)
Please keep her occupied until football season is over. kthx.
You are welcome on my lawn.
You're confusing "uncontrolled" with "under nobody's control."
Uncontrolled airspace (class G) means that it is not under ATC operations. See 14 CFR 91.126 (not 91.119 "Minimum safe altitudes").
Further note explicitly 91.126(a)
"Unless otherwise authorized or required, each person operating an aircraft on or in the vicinity of an airport in a Class G airspace area must comply with the requirements of this section." That's "must comply" not "optionally can choose to comply" or whatever. The use of this airspace is subject to FAA regulation and control.
The FAA and its regulations are in full control of flight above ground in these United States. Uncontrolled airspace is airspace without direct Air-Traffic-Control facility control, not "outside FAA regulations, purvey, domain, nor control."
That's from the ground up, not 400ft AGL, not 500ftAGL, not some small amount unless you lease them your airspace right of way...
I guess I'm just not used to the attitude of "we can pretend the FAA has no power and do what we want because it pisses us off we have to register our UASs". Ultimately if you don't want to abide by the laws, that's your right. Making up ideas of why the FAA has no jurisdiction is just as nutty as those Sovereign Citizen people claiming the IRS is a hoax and that money they print is real.
Res ipsa loquitur.
Ehud
At the same time, though, if you want to know if someone is a pilot, all you have to do is punch their name into the FAA's pilot certificate search tool, and it will tell you.
Pilots do not have privacy with the FAA, and planes are not registered with holding companies for privacy purposes. It's all about taxes.