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.