The Judge said that sUAV's are not yet regulated.

OK...Just got back from a real cool GS event...with FPV and every thing else, nobody got killed or anything and I see the wash women are still talking at the fence LOL

Maybe we should quit worrying our pretty little heads about all this...As I see it there are really three circles of concern...a three ring circus, if you will. In the smallest ring is AMA and its members...almost insignificant in the big picture but worth some consideration... As AMA members we agree to certain restrictions in exchange for certain benefits...AMA spells that out for us...If we don't like that we do not have to join NBD.

In the second ring we essentially have operations immediately above public and private property while under 500 ft in most cases...and those operations are the responsibility of the property owners to make decisions on what is allowed...commercial or otherwise...

Beyond that, in the big ring, is what the FAA is trying to come to grips with...integrating "drones"(whatever that means) into the NAS...

Now with all that being said...Let's just get back to hanging out our clean laundry... Go fly!

Not yet!

HERITIC! Who flys when they can say how rotten the rest of us are for not jumping on their leaky boat and paddling?

It was 56 and windy, but I was involved with club flying field operations.

So does the "2nd Amendment" apply to individual owned armed drones? If the gun is visible would that fall under brandishing? If the gun was hidden would that require a "concealed carry" permit to fly?

You can be sure that the government (not just the FAA) will take an interest in armed sUAV.

Then again if armed you can claim it is allowed by the 2nd Amendment? Not sure if rights can be claimed on a UAV. Perhaps we could get away with a lot if we used armed robots.

But officer the robot did it!

And I am sure one of the posters in this thread would use that as an excuse!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...rones/6345823/

Good article about a leader in the commercial sUAS arena. Note his comments about safety issues and his take on avoiding them.
What sUAS safety expertise is AMA going to sell him?
IMHO, 99+% of the value in AMA "safety programming" that concerns the public outside of participants in our model airplane (sUAS) flying hobby/sport is "don't fly over people or their things."
That proprietary sekrit is out.

cj

Drones are coming, no doubt about it. And there will be regulations for commercial public use of drones, count on it. Hobby recreation drones, model airplanes, already have safety guidelines, that will not be applicable to commercial public drones. Nor will commercial regulations apply to recreational use.

and once again,
the only real difference that the FAA uses to differentiate between between us and the commercial boys, is use.
if used for commercial purpose, they will regulate it, if used for hobby enjoyment, they will not.
AMA should do NOTHING that blurs that line.

i found his definition of a "drone" to be interesting...................... "it must be capable of autonomous flight to be a drone".

You do know about military drones, don't you?

oh, ok.... and here I thought we were discussing civilian owned sUAV.

Well sure, but, did you read what I was replying to?

here let me help you understand........ hope this makes it clear.

"So does the "2nd Amendment" apply to individual owned armed drones? If the gun is visible would that fall under brandishing? If the gun was hidden would that require a "concealed carry" permit to fly?

You can be sure that the government (not just the FAA) will take an interest in civilian owned armed sUAV."

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State..."

I don’t understand what all the arguing is about. It’s really quite simple. The FAA does not want to have to monitor hobby models.

The FAA only recognizes the AMA as the body that will developed the rules for these hobby models.

The AMA cannot enforce any of the rules or guidelines they can only make insurance coverage dependent on membership and the pilot follow those rules and guidelines.

If you are not an AMA member or choose to fly outside the AMA guidelines and rules the AMA has no jurisdiction and as far as they are concerned you are not flying it as a model under their definition and they wash their hands of you.

The FAA intends to regulate commercial drones, UAV’s, UAS’s or what ever else you want to call them. If you are not flying yours under the definition of what is considered a model then I would bet dollars to donuts that if you attract the attention of the FAA they will make things very difficult for you freedoms be dammed.

Remember the FAA asked the AMA what is a model and how it is to be flown. Your opinion means squat. It does not mater if you agree or think this is wrong it’s the way it is going to be unless you want to spend the money and challenge this. To the AMA you’re the red headed stepchild and I don’t think there’s going to be much support from that end.

No one can stop you from making poor choices. Unfortunately the emergence of the Nanny State has removed the process of natural selection.

Dennis

exactly!

Here's how I see it. Commercial operations directly over our property is our private concerns and therefore FAA should keep its nose out of it...pretty simple stuff really. If we fail to hold strong on that front, we might as well resign ourselves to the notion of "no freedom" and that government should dictate our every living breath....

Not disagreeing with that, but it seems very narrow in scope. Except for farmers, what commercial operations over one's own property do you foresee?

I don't think however that the federal government will see it that way. Commercial work, regardless of where it is performed, is commercial, and falls under their commerce clauses. Anything you do whereby funds are exchanged will fall under their jurisdiction. Is it illegal for me to make moonshine? Not if I drink it myself, but when I start to sell it or exchange it, it is illegal, even if I do this on my own property. The government has a funny way of deciding what they will and will not enforce.

Here is one...Here in Texas I had the opportunity to do inspections on windmills with a small unmanned system...but maybe you're designation of farming still applies...they were wind farmers LOL. Another was to do inspections of an Iron factory here... I could go on but I think most everyone could see more ways that this type of service could benefit certain industries.

Regardless lcs,
These examples you provide are clearly examples of commercial ventures, IF you are paid or compensated in any way to do them. It is awesome that you have the skill and techniques available, and it obviously does fill a need, but in the opinion of just about everyone I knw, and those who would be reviewing it for the FAA, this would be considered a commercial venture. There is no way the commercial full scale pilots are going to sit by and watch as the FAA passes over this niche'.

Well they should really get over themselves already. Just this last weekend, while flying regular models at my friends ranch, we discussed how he might benefit from some service as we are discussing. He initiated the discussion...I am not actively promoting a business but there are more examples of opertunities than the self-important minds can fathom...we've got to get beyond that silliness somehow.

Welcome to the real world, with big government. They don't care if you can do it, or who it is gonna help. If you are gonna make money doing it, they expect you to buy a license, jump thru some hoops, and pay taxes on it.