Wow imagine how much worse things would be if we had not spent $1,000,000 on government relations

Damn, that sheriff's deputy is from my own area. That's getting too close for comfort

WSJ article from yesterday...looks like the feds will require registration of commercial AND recreational drones. It's looking like that $1,000,000 was well spent, as it's been successful in keeping the DOT / FAA from issuing regulations like this!

http://www.wsj.com/articles/drone-ow...ces-1445041576

According to Marketwatch, "A Department of Transportation spokesperson told MarketWatch that U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Administrator Michael Huerta of the Federal Aviation Administration will release more details on Monday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time."

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/all...ion-2015-10-16

We all knew this had to be coming. The AMA can only do so much and, with the proliferation of quads being sold almost on every street corner, the Feds had to do something. Now the question is "How are they going to enforce the requirement of being registered?"

You are so right, there is only so much any entity could do, let alone the AMA. But that won't stop them from being second guessed, no matter what they do. Spent to much, not enough, didn't do enough, should have done something different. Many complaints coming from folks not involved in any meaningful way, other than commenting on the internet. And some from folks not even in the AMA. We'll have to wait and see what the full extent of this reg will be, but it seems virtually impossible at this point to envision it the way it's being presented currently. Sounds like a trial ballon being floated, or better yet something being suggested for purely political reasons, not at all for practical reasons. Guns and cars are supposed to be registered too....no bad acts or accidents from them after being registered right?

Did you REALLY just make a comparison between my toy airplane and guns & cars...?
Did you REALLY just say [once again] that those who are not directly involved with the decision making process should keep their opinions to themselves...?

Excuse me, but if you had actually read what others have been saying, plenty COULD have been done by the AMA.

If the AMA had simply distanced themselves from the droners, they could have easily proven to all of these government agencies that for 80 years we, as a group, have been tremendously safe, responsible and have not been reason for any cause of the concerns being presented today.

You continue to trash those that feel the AMA is not representing their interest as some kind of haters and hoodlums that are just trying to start some trouble. The truth is quite the opposite. Informing the uninformed through internet forums is a very effective means to reach out to those that we may not otherwise come into contact with. Those that are being vocal about their displeasure have NEVER said the AMA is bad, or that they do not like the AMA, simply that they believe they are not being represented properly. As AMA members that is not only their right, it is one of the most effective ways to help affect change within the organization.

Furthermore, when these, "folks not involved in any meaningful way" directed folks who did not receive the AMA's opinion poll to a link where they COULD voice their opinion, YOU berated them!

I know that at least a couple of the, "folks not involved in any meaningful way" are also actively reaching out to other members, encouraging them to be vocal with their opinions and to let their AMA reps how they feel. If this isn't the single most powerful way to, "do something meaningful", I can't imagine what would be!

You have said it numerous times, in numerous threads, "if you don't like it, run for office" like that is the only way to be involved. That is simply not true! There are a few here that are doing ALOT more than that, yet you single them out as some kind of pariahs.

Remember, our elected officials are put into office to serve their constituents and be their voice, NOT vote their own, personal conscience.

Regards,

Astro

You can read right?

OK, here is the latest news today.: http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovati...gister-n447156.

How will they get all the drones registered by people that bought them last year??? I Don't think it's possible.

So what will it cost to register?

There's a whole discussion about this in another thread in this section

I posted it 90 minutes after the other post because I never enter the AMA forums unless it is in the hot topic list ...

Oh, its your thread .....

They didn't mention a cost associated with this, nor were they questioned about that from what I recall.

Perish the thought..!
The AMA representatives might have had to sit at "the kid's table" in the dining hall.

Well, here is another classic way to use a drone. What is next???http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...n-yard-n452221

You know honestly carrying illegal things like drugs is probably the only thing that would cover the cost and hassle of keeping a delivery fleet going. I would like to see how many battery chargers, service guys,drone loaders it would take to deliver in a medium sized market. I just don't see how it can be cost effective for anything , it seems better suited for emergency supply drops.

Having watched a few guys mes with the quad copters, I have to think these things will be constantly dropping out of the sky if they are ever put into heavy use. It makes me wonder how the flying wildlife will adapt to them if they were everywhere? Would birds, and bats just learn to ignore them? Would attacks and bird strikes be common? Heaven knows if you get the animal rights groups on you they are persistent.

IMO the largest cost would be drones lost to shotguns.

I'm curious if this was being flown FPV, how far away the pilot was. And how likely would it be for the correct intended inmate to retrieve the drone, unless the inmate has scheduled solitary yard time?
I sometimes wonder if these sorts of stunts could be staged (by authorities, or weird-o's) to shine a light on a suspected problem. Like the government dude crashing onto the white house lawn. Seems too convenient a place to crash.
Would someone really be willing to send a $500-1000 drone with $500+ in drugs and a phone into a prison with an extremely slight chance of getting it to the correct inmate?

I think in this era there are many phones in the hands of inmates.. I am sure some one could be tipped off when a certain person would be outside. Also there are some RICH criminals in jail that I assume think the price involved is small change... Man we are going to see some odd and crazy stuff with these quads...

The weapon end is what scares me..Imagine someone with an armed quad with facial recognition programmed in... Email a pic to a hitman for a certain price..he loads up some info involving your address and face..and it sits patiently somewhere on a roof waiting for you...


We all know this is the new front line soldiers in the field.. given some time.

The first time I saw that video where the group of 16 quads were flying in coordination through the open window... I knew we were in for trouble .

I know it sounds far fetched, but people in Prison, well let me say a few of them are intelligent and have contacts outside of Prison all the time. This is not the first time this has been tried by prisoners and outside people. Will it be the last? NO. We are just seeing the tip of the iceburg here,much more things to come and in different crime related moves. I also don't think they are AMA Members!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a thought. By FAA definition a Drone is any unmanned aerial system that is remotely controlled, and they are directed to find a way to register these Drones by December and the proposed cutoff weight is 2 lbs. So I have a question. Since the FAA's definition does not distinguish between fixed or rotary or multi- rotor winged aircraft will that require everyone to register their models that weigh in excess of 2 lbs. regardless of wing configuration, do I have this right or is something going on here I don't see?

See prior discussions here and in other threads. Nothing has been ironed out yet. The presser seemed to weigh in the "drone" area pretty heavily. Fixed wing were not specifically mentioned, but there were comments about all aircraft. Anything is possible of course, but I'd wager we won't be registering our Parkzone planes anytime soon. Or ever.

I have been monitoring the other comments, just wanted to voice a thought. I'm sure that they will narrow it down to the MR's but until I see it in writing I'm going to fret about it, just my nature. It would be nice if they would require all purchaser's of MR's to provide proof of memebership in AMA or to join at the purchase of their MR and require their AMA number to be on the model, to me that makes sense so I doubt if that will be the outcome, what do I know anyway?

Life's to short to fret. I'm not really for anyone having to prove they belong to the AMA to buy anything, I suspect there might be just as many fliers out there not part of the AMA. I could hear the complaints now from the people who already can't find anything positive to say about the AMA...lookit this blatant money grab, etc etc etc. I do think it's a great idea for them to have their AMA number on the craft though, if they do belong. It's odd what we require people to do in order to own or even purchase some things. The town over from me requires a scanned ID to purchase BB's....yes...tiny little BBs. But I can go in and buy any type of large knife, or even a "drone" without anyone batting an eye.

Careful now there a lot of people lurking here that think the AMA is a bad thing and just out to get your money.