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FAA Moves Toward Treating Drones and Planes As Equals (hackaday.com)
Hackaday's Tom Nardi writes about the Federal Aviation Administration's push to repeal Section 336, which states that small remote-controlled aircraft as used for hobby and educational purposes aren't under FAA jurisdiction. "Despite assurances that the FAA will work towards implementing waivers for hobbyists, critics worry that in the worst case the repeal of Section 336 might mean that remote control pilots and their craft may be held to the same standards as their human-carrying counterparts," writes Nardi. From the report: Section 336 has already been used to shoot down the FAA's ill-conceived attempt to get RC pilots to register themselves and their craft, so it's little surprise they're eager to get rid of it. But they aren't alone. The Commercial Drone Alliance, a non-profit association dedicated to supporting enterprise use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), expressed their support for repealing Section 336 in a June press release: "Basic 'rules of the road' are needed to manage all this new air traffic. That is why the Commercial Drone Alliance is today calling on Congress to repeal Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, and include new language in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act to enable the FAA to regulate UAS and the National Airspace in a common sense way."
The 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act does not simply repeal Section 336, it also details the new rules the agency would impose on unmanned aircraft and their operators. Under these proposed rules, all unmanned aircraft would be limited to an altitude of 400 feet unless they have specific authorization to exceed that ceiling. They must also be operated within line of sight at all times, effectively ending long-range First Person View (FPV) flying. There's also language in the Reauthorization Act about studying the effects of flying unmanned aircraft at night, or over groups of people. It also states that drones, just like traditional aircraft, must be registered and marked. It even authorizes the FAA to investigate methods of remote identification for drones and their operators, meaning it's not unreasonable to conclude that RC aircraft may be required to carry transponders at some point in the future. To many in the hobby this seems like an unreasonable burden, especially in the absence of clear limits on what type of small aircraft would be excluded (if any). The report also notes that the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act will require drone operators to have to pass an "aeronautical knowledge and safety test," and to show proof of their passing to any law enforcement if questioned. Also with the repeal of Section 336, "young people might actually be excluded from flying remote-controlled aircraft," Nardi writes. "While many RC planes and quadcopters are marketed as children's toys, in the absence of Section 336, it's not clear that a child could legally operate one. The FAA requires a person to be 16 years of age to obtain a pilot's license, and if unmanned aircraft are truly expected to obey the same 'rules of the road,' it's not unreasonable to assume that age requirement will remain in effect."
The 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act does not simply repeal Section 336, it also details the new rules the agency would impose on unmanned aircraft and their operators. Under these proposed rules, all unmanned aircraft would be limited to an altitude of 400 feet unless they have specific authorization to exceed that ceiling. They must also be operated within line of sight at all times, effectively ending long-range First Person View (FPV) flying. There's also language in the Reauthorization Act about studying the effects of flying unmanned aircraft at night, or over groups of people. It also states that drones, just like traditional aircraft, must be registered and marked. It even authorizes the FAA to investigate methods of remote identification for drones and their operators, meaning it's not unreasonable to conclude that RC aircraft may be required to carry transponders at some point in the future. To many in the hobby this seems like an unreasonable burden, especially in the absence of clear limits on what type of small aircraft would be excluded (if any). The report also notes that the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act will require drone operators to have to pass an "aeronautical knowledge and safety test," and to show proof of their passing to any law enforcement if questioned. Also with the repeal of Section 336, "young people might actually be excluded from flying remote-controlled aircraft," Nardi writes. "While many RC planes and quadcopters are marketed as children's toys, in the absence of Section 336, it's not clear that a child could legally operate one. The FAA requires a person to be 16 years of age to obtain a pilot's license, and if unmanned aircraft are truly expected to obey the same 'rules of the road,' it's not unreasonable to assume that age requirement will remain in effect."
"$15,000 worth of training and certifications" is probably more than necessary.
Flying model aircraft pilots, depending on how good they are, will spend $100-$300 on lessons before they can pass their Bronze Wings tests (administered by the national aeromodelling organisation in each country) and then many more hours flying at registered aeromodelling airfields practising for the Gold Wings test that allows them to participate in organised aerobatics and racing competitions.
I'm not against enforcing that drone pilots go through such training. Drone pilots should also have to pay for public liability insurance every year just like the aeromodelling pilots are required to do.
Hey bro, I didn't read any of that wiki article except the title and first two sentences. I glanced at some of the pretty pictures though. Dealing with aircraft systems like ADS-B was my day job once upon a time, so I just dug around in my brain for most of it, thus it's rambling and disjointed nature :-p
I have ADS-B in and out in a plane that I fly as often as I can, and I did a fair amount of the physical install, and worked with a repair station to make it all legal, a few years ago. I think I was one of the first IFR certified ADS-B installs in my state. I chased down the first air to air contact I saw on my first flight with ADS-B. That was a bad idea, turned out to be a Blackhawk helicopter. Up close, they look like flying anger, and they can fly sideways and look at you with intensity.
ADS-B adoption rates are increasing as my cockpit display is getting gradually more cluttered, and the FAA is likely to simply ground airplanes that don't comply, which I would support. I can see temporary exemptions being issued on a case by case basis. ADS-B brings too much capability to the table, both for pilots and for controllers, to put off any longer. Also, prices are coming down, and the FAA is likely to re-introduce some financial incentives and rebates. Check out the NGT-9000, it's sweet! And for not much more than the price of two new Continental O-470 cylinders, you can have one installed! The install really is easy. The hardest part is tying in to the encoder, so if you haven't already, it's best to upgrade to a serial output encoder. Encoders are cheap, under a kilobuck, below a standard aviation monetary unit! Not many devices going forward are going to keep supporting binary gray code, or so I've been led to believe.
Sparc up dump1090 on a linux laptop or pi and watch all the stuff flying near you that has ADS-B. Now, if you are in BFE small town, you'll mostly just see airlines and business jets going overhead, but you'll catch a bug smasher now and then. A pi and USB SDR will also receive FIS-B weather very nicely, and send it to your cell phone or tablet via wifi or bluetooth or something. Never tried it, too much cockpit clutter for me. I saw folks at Oshkosh 3D printing cases for a pi, usb sdr and battery for cockpit use one year. Kids and their toys :)
Similar levels of bitching were encountered when the mode C mandate was issued about the time my existence first became multi-cellular. The world didn't end, and aviation adopted mode C.
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." - H. G. Wells
Your ad homeninargument is fundamentally flawed, but thus is the same FAA that's trying to deregulate private aircraft, so your more fundamental argument is also retarded. As for unwashed, I'm an airline transport pilot, and lay month we missed one at about 3000' AGL over a national forest. It was close enough that my coolly could count the rotors. Asshats with toys have already demonstrated that they're a menace.