Rob2160

This is already in place in Australia for commercial UAV operators.

If you also want to fly beyond visual range, you need to hold a Private Pilot licence (full size) and pass the Instrument Rating examination.

Not saying its right or fair, but that is the current system here.

I plan to get my UAV controllers certificate just for the sake of having it. Since I have an Australian (and FAA) ATPL already It just takes a manufacturer training course and pay CASA (= to FAA) the licence fee.

JohnShe

Well, it would help if they stopped calling drones quadcopters.

Rob2160

True but I doubt that will happen, the media have already educated the public that they are all "Drones"

I live in an apartment building and when I go flying other tenants regularly see me in the elevator carrying quads. Almost without exception the comments are "Wow, nice drones" or "your drone is huge" or "my son wants to get a drone" or "do you build drones"

Nobody ever calls them quads or multicopters.

Even at the park recently I was night flying and a two cars stopped and watched, I could overhear the kids yelling, " Look Daddy, its a drone"

r_adical

My Feedback: (19)

for the record she is actually from Baltimore Maryland - just saying

Sport_Pilot

She is not a nut. Very shrewd politician she is. But she is playing to the nuts in CA.

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

Just received an EMail from Hobby People that their entire stock of drones are on sale. Normally they list a few but not the entire inventory. Could this be the writing on the wall?

JohnShe

Yep, it's XMas. Big opportunity to make money selling toys.

N410DC

In the case of UAVs, I think the FAA will eventually add a new "UAV" category of aircraft, with training and other certification requirements. I doubt that they will make distinct single and multi engine classes of UAVs , as they did with the "airplane" class.

For what it's worth, the waivers the FAA recently issued to movie production companies simply require that the pilots possess a private pilot's license. I have not heard any requirement that they pilots possess a multi engine land or multi engine sea class rating as well. I am not even sure of these pilots are required to possess a current medical certificate. From what I can tell, the licenses these pilots possess can be in any category/class combination.

NorfolkSouthern

Those pilots in the movies DO require a medical certificate along with the private pilot's license.

franklin_m

FAA News release today - approves a number of new commercial operators.

I find it interesting that commercial operators are now promising to keep them under 55lbs and always within LOS. Given the FAA approved these, might it be telegraphing what "hobby" use will look like?

The firms also asked the FAA to grant exemptions from regulations that address general flight
rules, pilot certificate requirements, manuals, maintenance and equipment mandates. In their
petitions, the firms said they will operate UAS weighing less than 55 pounds and keep the UAS
within line of sight at all times.

Silent-AV8R

We already know what hobby use looks like. Section 336 spells it out. AMA is pushing back on the FAA interpretation of Section 336, but the basic framework is there. But, section 336 only pertains to hobby operations within the programming of a CBO. So I am betting that the coming sUAS Rule will have a section covering non-CBO/Section 336 hobby operations. Here's my guess on how that will look:

Under 55 pounds ready to fly
Under 400 feet. Period.
No FPV, eyeballs on the plane at all time.
No flying in Class B or Class C airspace.
Notify when within 5nm of Class D or Class E airports.
No night flying
Away from population and buildings
Avoid full scale aircraft and yield right-of-way at all times.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

That's certainly a possibility, and if it ends up being that, is that so horrible? It's not perfect, but it sure doesn't sound like the dire doom and gloom that has been bantered about ie the end of the hobby.

cj_rumley

Franklin,
It does seem likely, and would probably trickle down to MA after being prescribed for sUAS in general. Avoids raising a litigious stink about 336 disallowing new rules specifically for MA operation, but rather first establishes them for all aircraft, from which MA are not exempted by the CBO hooey. If FAA has their updated version of AC 91-57 ready for release before or concurrent with the sUAS rules, I expect it will be referenced as the authorization to fly MA......maybe even if not ready, it may be mentioned as pending, with the AC released in 1981 remaining in effect for the interim. I doubt that it is a priority item in FAA's plans to avoid flak from congress. That is more likely to relate to getting out authorizations for commercial interests in sUAS, as the topic of the article you referenced. It doesn't take a lot of math to estimate the scope of industry impact of the long delayed regulatory material from FAA, if the 5 authorizations announced were to be repeated as a monthly average, it will take about 20 years for the industry in the US to catch up to where their counterparts in Europe and Asia are today.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

http://news.yahoo.com/top-pilot-sees...220243871.html

The testimony sounded pretty reasonable.

Rob2160

This is the form you use to apply for the UAV controllers certificate in Australia.

http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_asset...l/form1087.pdf

N410DC

Thank you for the clarification. Interesting that individuals who possess a Sport Pilot's license can fly a 1/2 ton plane at 120mph without a medical certificate.I guess the FAA forgot about that exception when they decided that UAV pilots must have a medical certificate to fly a quadcoptor that is a small fraction of that weight.

Silent-AV8R

And it gets better, you need to have a current flight review.

http://www.risingup.com/fars/info/part61-56-FAR.shtml

NorfolkSouthern

No, unfortunately, they can't fly without a medical certificate. That's what their driver's license is for, as long as they did not get denied a regular pilot's medical certificate. If they have a denial on their record, then they can't even fly light sport. The EAA wants some drastic changes to the FAA's medical requirements, because people with a standard driver's license being used as a medical certificate, along with their ligh-sport ticket, have demonstrated an excellent safety record. Another interesting revelation: I have talked with several pilots, and they feel that the FAA's requirements for drone operators is highly over-blown. They don't feel that a person should require any license to fly a quad copter, or any other small electric park flyer under 5 pounds for that matter. But the FAA is going to pursue that anyway, driving all the innovation overseas, as per Amazon and other companies.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

What innovation is the FAA driving overseas exactly? Do you not see any benefit or reason for the FAA to want to regulate commercial drone usage in the skies? Would you feel comfortable flying in a commercial plane with your family when Pizza Hut and Amazon and Best Buy are cruising around with their latest toy deliver systems at 3000 feet, unrestricted or unregulated? What is your solution?

Sport_Pilot

Regardless you can fly an ultralight with no medical certificate. Even if you have flunked one for a private pilots license. You could be almost blind, or have heart disease.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

partially blind and prone to heart attacks....what could go wrong while flying?

N410DC

Actually, these pilots still have to make a determination that they are healthy enough to fly, according to the federal aviation regulations. If a pilot cannot see well enough to fly, or is at a high risk of a heart attack while flying, he/she must not fly. If they do fly desite this condition, and a crash is caused by the condition, they will have a lot of explaining to do.

The link below is a good guide as to who can fly with a "drivers license medical." Personally, I think these guidelines are reasonable for UAV pilots.

Medical Requirements for Sport Pilots

As I have said before, the FAA is targeting the commercial use of drones. I doubt that a pilots license and/or medical certificate will ever be required to fly an R/C aircraft for hobby or recreational use. Granted, based on the recent NTSB decision, the FAA can take action against any R/C pilot, but only if that pilot is recklessly endangering the NAS and/or people on the ground. I think/hope that enforcement action will be limited to these idiots who are acting an a clearly dangerous and reckless matter. To date, I do not know of a single incident where the FAA has taken action against an RC pilot who was flying in accordance with the AMA safety code. I don't expect this to change.

franklin_m

Majority of fatalities in light civil aircraft crashes are the occupants of the aircraft. So if someone fails their medical and still flies in an ultralight, then there's a more than decent chance that the ideas of Charles Darwin will come into play - thus it becomes a self correcting problem.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Ha, good one!

Sport_Pilot

A lot of people fly ultralights because ​they failed their medical.