Originally Posted by
NorfolkSouthern
With the NTSB ruling as it stands currently, how do you feel recreational modelers will be affected, cj_rumley? I am seeing posts by club flyers who believe they won't be touched, yet I am also reading about events being cancelled and engineering being transferred overseas.
Do you personally feel that all this will put a huge dent in the hobby, or will live go on as normal after the quad copters and cameras are effectively rounded up? Personally, I don't see an end to FPV, photography, and people using their drones to get a different vantage point to their surroundings.
If these people are flying outside a club field, yet in a manner that is safe and within legal guidelines (no goggles but with a video screen and downlink, within sight, below 400', 5 miles from an airport, no money involved), will they still be subject to regulation, or do you feel the FAA would look the other direction? I could have the hunch the FAA would pay no attention, but I can't say I'm entirely sure at this point. Keep in mind that the drone that was being used in the incident wasn't a quad or heli.
Well, so what do you think?
I know that your question is directed at CJ, but I cannot help but chime in.
Don't know much about events being cancelled, although some of the TFRs could be a cause. Nor do I have clue about engineering being transferred overseas, unless you are referring to the business practice of off-shoring labor.
As far as the NTSB legal ruling, it should only effect the irresponsible individuals who cannot or will not follow the safety guidelines of a CBO, like the AMA. Nobody is going to round up our toys, have no fear of that.
You seem to be mixing commercial and recreational activities together. Commercial and public service UAS operations will be regulated, count on it. The law and the FAA have said that recreational activities will not be regulated as long as we follow the guidelines and programs of the AMA or any other CBO. I think we can trust them on this.
Remember this, we don't have to join the AMA or any other club. We can fly anywhere that we have permission as long as we do it safely. And we can fly anything we want to fly, fixed wing, rotary wing or even anti-grav when the technology becomes available. And that includes any type of reliable guidance technology such as R/C VLOS, FPV or ESP.