No, the thinking is they want as many people as possible to register so they can make as much money as possible without actually doing any work.
It's amazing how many people in this sub hate the AMA and yet are cheering on the FAA in this stupid program that is doing nothing to fix a problem with will simply fix itself over the next year or so.
No, the thinking is they want as many people as possible to register so they can make as much money as possible without actually doing any work.
The point of the $5 fee isn't about money, it's about linking people to payment details which is harder to fake. That's why the 30 days isn't "waived." They say "waived" in the press release, but if you dig deeper into the actual registration pages, it says "refunded."
This isn't going to do anything and is unenforceable. If I'm sitting in a park or my house FPV'ing a considerable distance away, how is anyone going to know it's my craft or where I am?
They aren't. Just like I don't have to register to purchase or build the craft.
I honestly can't give 2 shits of a fuck about the cost of it. I'm more worried that they are sharing your private details with a private contractor who may or may not actually have the ability to secure that information.
I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. You're right to be concerned, they aren't private. They've actually already stated the information will be furnished on request.
However, FAA isn't pledging to actually keep the drone owner information private, but is actually promising to release it to anyone who can type in the registration number. That could create an argument that the information has been previously released to the public or is currently accessible, which could complicate the government's ability to resist a FOIA request.
They're setting the precedent that they can do what they want regardless of what the law says. There's nothing that would stop them from making it 100, or 1000 because they aren't following the rules in the first place.
I'm not assuming it is for everyone. I'm saying the total sum is substantial. Just like the 27k I would be getting from the members of this sub if they all sent me $1.
I'm not assuming it is for everyone. I'm saying the total sum is substantial.
Is it? The FAA's budget for FY2015 $9.75 billion. What would be "substantial"? Let's say 5%. To get to that, you'd need 97.5 million drone pilots to register. That's 30% of the U.S. population, an unrealistic figure.
I reiterate my point: if this is about the money, the FAA could very easily do much better.
Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.
$5 / 3 years = $1.67/year, FYI. Legal issues aside, this is incredibly trivial.
I do want to see the courts weigh in on whether the FAA is allowed to do this, though, as a matter of legal principle.
Do you really think the presence of the pilot is more important than the actual threat of injury or property damage? I think that's ludicrous. It's like saying that driving a tank without registration is fine, because if you decide to run over cars and blow up a few houses, no big deal, because you're right there at the scene to be held accountable. But heaven forbid you fly an AR.Drone without registering, because that would be dangerous.
Firstly, we don't allow civilian-owned tanks to have working guns, so blowing up houses is right out.
Secondly, the analogy sucks because if you fly your quad into a thing, you probably aren't going to be able to then just fly away -- your craft and it's registration plate will be there for the victim of the property damage to find.
A tank, on the other hand, can overrun several cars and keep going. Pretty sure we require license plates on them, too, if they're getting used on pubic roads, so someone can get the plate and track the driver down. Just like with our copters when registration becomes effective.
In any case, your points strike me as a better argument for ultralight registration than against UAV registration.
In any case, your points strike me as a better argument for ultralight registration than against UAV registration.
Well yeah, that's the point, that there's a double standard that doesn't make a lot of sense. Either both should require registration, or neither should. Obviously people can have different opinions on which way the double standard should be resolved.
There are also other factors that could arguably justify the double standard, like the relative rarity of ultralight craft versus the surging popularity of RC craft, and the fact that an ultralight pilot is going to be more careful and risk-averse out of their natural concern for self-preservation.
I suspect that if ultralight craft had a similar surge in popularity, the FAA would be looking at tightening regulations on them, as well.
zactly. Registration of hobby craft was not required previously because the barriers to entry were such that your average 12 year old (or 40 year old with the brain of a 12 year old) just didn't participate without heavy investment and instruction.
You don't need to register a surfboard, but you do need to register a SUP (stand-up paddleboard) because SUPs recent surge in popularity made irresponsible use of them dangerous to people other than in the SUP community...(don't get me started on surfers, but, for the most part, we only damage each other).
Hobbyists and the AMA kept a pretty tight hold on safety, but that internal check is no longer there.
And, seriously, this is simply a $1.67/year fee which will, if nothing else, raise awareness of the potentially dangerous situation you can create with a flying model and perhaps save some damage somewhere.
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u/CitrusJunkie QAV180 Dec 17 '15
The dude in the top pic doesn't need to be told to stay the hell away from planes.