Drone stans get in here
- Thread starter dadamaja
- Start date
unedited just right off the memory card shows my height and distance test
another big thing that will be needed is drone repair centers if u are looking for income ideas
another big thing that will be needed is drone repair centers if u are looking for income ideas
I was surprised when I was able to reach as high as I did with an overcast, I was not able to see the drone through the clouds.......... it was breathtaking when I reached the top
Looks like you're in Ca somewhere, you started in a cloud
Damn. Some of these vids. 
That sounds like nice side dough
for a come up...very delicate process to repair these drones.
Totally unexpected..I saw an opening in the clouds and chanced it... did not expect it to reach the top. Yes that looks like the valley in Ca
Flew today in a subdivision and had that lil fucker screaming. Man the Mavic is nice to be so small
i'm about to make these right now
new
old
old
if you haven't done this yet take the time to do so. i was able to get 6200 ft out before i turned around, and it looked like i could go farther still had a strong signal
with boosters i got over 1200 ft and still had full strong signal posting vids this evening
today none of my drones will connect to android dji go apps. none of the drones will. only with my ipad. anyone else having this problem???
Not enought people own them to really make a profit imo. Drones are still pretty niche right now. Niggas around my way still flying kites
DJI will now handicap your drone until you register it with the company
Chinese company DJI made a pretty significant change to the process of buying and activating its drones over the weekend. Going forward, DJI drones will be severely limited in functionality until buyers register them with the company.
Failure to register with DJI means the drone will have a height limit of 98 feet (30 meters), a radius of 164 feet (50 meters), and the live video feed will be disabled. “This new step, to take effect at the end of next week, ensures you will use the correct set of geospatial information and flight functions for your aircraft, as determined by your geographical location and user profile,” the company writes. The change applies internationally.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/23/15680206/dji-drone-registration-limits-range-video
Chinese company DJI made a pretty significant change to the process of buying and activating its drones over the weekend. Going forward, DJI drones will be severely limited in functionality until buyers register them with the company.
Failure to register with DJI means the drone will have a height limit of 98 feet (30 meters), a radius of 164 feet (50 meters), and the live video feed will be disabled. “This new step, to take effect at the end of next week, ensures you will use the correct set of geospatial information and flight functions for your aircraft, as determined by your geographical location and user profile,” the company writes. The change applies internationally.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/23/15680206/dji-drone-registration-limits-range-video
Did you register them?????
if you haven't done this yet take the time to do so. i was able to get 6200 ft out before i turned around, and it looked like i could go farther still had a strong signal
I use my regular windsurfer and I've gotten 20,000+ feet out at Edgewater over the lake without getting a weak signal.
The only reason I turned around was because the battery was running low.
This little powerful drone looks legit....but all that hand controlling might have me in doubt
I use my regular windsurfer and I've gotten 20,000+ feet out at Edgewater over the lake without getting a weak signal.
The only reason I turned around was because the battery was running low.
20,000 ft is a little over 4 miles. impossible
that applies to new drones and it's still fully functioning with an ipad and/or iphone
it's too small and too light. the wind can carry it away. unless you're doing in your face type stuff with it, it's not a good choice.
it's actually not even 4 miles and with no obstructions and a battery mod, you could go way past than 4 miles.
i've done it a half dozen times, at least.
go to the lake and just go out at about 150 ft altitude.
you can go 4 miles out and your signal won't even begin to turn red.
you just have to watch your battery to make sure you have enough battery to return.
don't just take my word... try it.
I forgot to post these last week.....
The FAA was just forced to lift its drone registration requirements
Mike Wehner
May 23rd, 2017 at 6:54 PM
Being a drone owner requires a few things. You need decent amount of cash if you want the high-end hardware, along with the patience and willingness to learn how to actually fly the thing. As of 2015, you also needed to register the aircraft (if weighs a half pound or more) with the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, a federal court in Washington, D.C. has ruled against that requirement, deeming the FAA’s mandatory registration “unlawful.”
The ruling, which was just handed down, is the culmination of a lawsuit brought against the FAA in February of 2016. At the time, hobbyist pilots alleged that the FAA didn’t have the power to make the registrations mandatory. The suit argued that drones, which are considered “model aircraft” by the FAA, fell under the protective umbrella of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which prevents the agency from setting forth any new rules or regulations.
The court agreed, stating:
In short, the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA “may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,” yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a “rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.” Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The Registration Rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft.
It’s a solid win for model aircraft enthusiasts and drone pilots, and should — if the FAA actually recognizes the court’s ruling — eliminate the registration requirement as well as the registration fee that it carried.
That being said, the court also noted in its ruling that the FAA may desire to amend or repeal the original 2012 act. “Congress is of course always free to repeal or amend its 2012 prohibition on FAA rules regarding model aircraft,” the court said in the ruling. “Perhaps Congress should do so. Perhaps not. In any event, we must follow the statute as written.”
*****************
Appeals Court Strikes Down FAA Registry of Recreational Drones
by ALEX JOHNSON
Federal rules requiring owners to register recreational drones with the government are illegal, and only Congress can fix them, a federal appeals court has ruled.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued rules in October 2015 requiring registration of drones — or "unmanned aerial vehicles" (UAVs) in governmentese — weighing more than a half-pound. The rules took effect in January 2016.
The half-pound threshold is light enough to cover many of the small remote-controlled drones you can buy at the department store, and John Taylor of Washington, D.C., sued in February 2016, arguing that another provision of federal law bars the government from regulating model aircraft.
In a ruling dated Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington agreed.
A quad race drone makes it way through hoops suspended from trees in the woods during the Flying Circus First Person View Festival on May 20, 2017 in Clifton Forge, Virginia. Heather Rousseau / AP
"The 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA 'may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,' yet the FAA's 2015 Registration Rule is a 'rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,'" Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote for the court (PDF).
"Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler," he wrote.
If the FAA wants to regulate drones, the court said, it must persuade Congress to repeal or change the 2012 law.
"Perhaps Congress should do so. Perhaps not. In any event, we must follow the statute as written," Kavanaugh wrote.
In a statement, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), an interest group for model airplane enthusiasts, welcomed the decision.
told NBC affiliate KHNL on Tuesday that the ruling was already causing confusion, leading owners to call his business for clarification.
"Commercial operators will still need to register, as it was before," Elliot said. "Just the hobbyist side right now is not required to register.
************************
Court’s ruling on hobby drone registration creates new questions
By Luke Geiver | May 24, 2017
Through a new ruling from a Circuit Court in Washington D.C., registration is no longer required for hobbyists flying drones for recreational purposes.
PHOTO: UAS MAGAZINE
A hobbyist drone pilot from Washington D.C. has altered the regulatory landscape for small unmanned aircraft vehicle flights across the entire U.S. Through his successful efforts to have the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s year-old drone registration policy struck down in a D.C. Court of Appeals, Taylor has eliminated the requirement for hobby drone owners to register their sUAVs with the FAA.
Following Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s ruling, effective immediately, hobbyist no longer need to register the drones they own or operate for non-commercial purposes. The drone registration and hobby versus commercial debate goes back to 2007. Through an FAA notice issued in 2007, commercial UAV operations were put under a robust set of regulations requiring operators to report an aircraft’s intended use, time, or number of flights, area of operation and other things. Hobby operators, however, were left out of the regulations.
A 2012 Congressional Act then reiterated the difference between hobby drones and those used for commercial purposes. Kavanaugh based his decision to strike down the FAA’s ability to require registration for all drones on the language from the 2012 Congressional Act. The act, as cited in Kavanaugh’s explanation for his decision, defines model aircraft as an unmanned aircraft that is capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere, flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft and flown for hobby or recreational purposes.
“The FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA “may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,” yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a “rule of regulation regarding a model aircraft.” Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The Registration Rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft,” Kavanaugh wrote in his decision.
Following the release of Kavanaugh’s decision, both the FAA and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International released short statements.
AUVSI President, who helped draft and push for the drone registration process, voiced disappointment. “A UAS registration system is important to promote accountability and responsibility by users of the national airspace, and helps create a culture of safety that deters careless and reckless behavior,” adding that AUVSI intends to work with Congress on a legislative solution that will ensure continued accountability.
The Academy of Model Aeronautics government affairs team also offered its own opinion. “We have repeatedly argued that federal registration for our community is duplicative and unnecessary, as our members already register their model aircraft with AMA,” government affairs for AMA said. “In addition, our 80-year history of safe and responsible flying demonstrates that we’re not the problem. We shouldn’t be burdened by overly broad regulations.”
The FAA said it was carefully reviewing the decision. “The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats. We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.”
Patrick Byrnes, a partner in law firm Locke Lord’s litigation department, said the opinion of the court suggests the FAA is precluded from regulating in any way the operations of drones used for recreational purposes. “Separate and apart from this decision, there are potential further constitutional challenges to the FAA’s regulatory authority over the commercial use of drones below 500 feet and in particular, on private property,” Byrnes said.
The ruling may also call into question other issues related to the FAA’s regulatory authority, according to Thaddeus Lightfoot, a partner at Dorsey & Whitney. “The opinion touches on but does not address the FAA’s regulatory authority for drones flown for a “commercial purpose” and those flown “for hobby or recreational purposes.” The FAA is broadly construing a “commercial purpose” as a flight for a direct or indirect benefit, even if not money is involved,” Lightfoot said. “So, over the last year the FAA has fined persons taking photographs from drones for their own use or the use of friends, construing the flight “for hobby or recreational purposes” very narrowly and the “commercial” use concept very broadly. This tension between recreational use and commercial use is likely to be the next frontier of drone litigation.”
******************
A NEW WHITE HOUSE PROPOSAL WOULD LEGALIZE SHOOTING DOWN DRONES
Law enforcement would be able to “track, hack and destroy” any drone perceived to be a threat.
BY
MAY 24, 2017 4:57 PM
By Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg/Getty Images.
Less than a week after an appeals court struck down a 2015 Federal Aviation __Administration ruling requiring drone enthusiasts to register their flying devices with the government, the White House is asking Congress to get involved. The Trump administration wants congressional authority to let law enforcement officers “track, hack and destroy any type of drone over domestic soil,” The New York Times reported Tuesday. The proposal would give government agencies the authority to track any unpiloted aircraft system flying over any “covered facility, location, or installation” in the United States.
The draft proposal, which the White House frames as protecting national security, would give law enforcement the ability to monitor, shoot down, seize, and destroy any drone perceived to be a threat. According to the Times, “the government would have to respect ‘privacy, civil rights and civil liberties’ when exercising that power,” but courts would not have jurisdiction to hear lawsuits from drone pilots whose vehicles were seized or destroyed. The executive branch reportedly circulated the proposed rules—which are part of the yet-to-be-disclosed annual National Defense Authorization Act—to several congressional committees on Tuesday, and scheduled a classified briefing for congressional staffers on Wednesday to discuss it.
Members of the drone community already seem opposed to the proposed rules. “We, as a responsible community, are not against regulation per se, and while we worked to aid the attorney responsible for the suing of the FAA re: recreational drone registration, we aren't diametrically opposed to the concept of regulating commercial drones in some way,” Steve Cohen, the president of the Drone User Group Network, told me. “What we are most concerned about is regulatory overreach and what constitutes a threat. The N.Y.T. article states that the administration demands warrantless searches of electronic data, seeks no guidance on what constitutes a threat, and wants no accountability after the fact. To the D.U.G. (Drone User Group Network) and I’m sure many other interested parties, that is a trifecta of ‘no.’”
Although some individual states already have rules similar to the proposed bill set forth by the executive branch, which allow law enforcement to disable drones in the name of public safety, but it’s early days for drone regulation, and the rules are still largely unlitigated. Current F.A.A. regulations stipulate that shooting down a drone, as law enforcement did in North Dakota during the Keystone Pipeline protests earlier this year, can be considered aircraft sabotage. The White House’s proposal would override this rule The new rules would also ostensibly not make exceptions for drone journalism—recording via drone—allowing police officers to shoot down reporters’ drones, alongside drones perceived as terrorist threats or invasions of privacy.
The FAA was just forced to lift its drone registration requirements
Mike Wehner
May 23rd, 2017 at 6:54 PM
Being a drone owner requires a few things. You need decent amount of cash if you want the high-end hardware, along with the patience and willingness to learn how to actually fly the thing. As of 2015, you also needed to register the aircraft (if weighs a half pound or more) with the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, a federal court in Washington, D.C. has ruled against that requirement, deeming the FAA’s mandatory registration “unlawful.”
The ruling, which was just handed down, is the culmination of a lawsuit brought against the FAA in February of 2016. At the time, hobbyist pilots alleged that the FAA didn’t have the power to make the registrations mandatory. The suit argued that drones, which are considered “model aircraft” by the FAA, fell under the protective umbrella of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which prevents the agency from setting forth any new rules or regulations.
The court agreed, stating:
In short, the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA “may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,” yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a “rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.” Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The Registration Rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft.
It’s a solid win for model aircraft enthusiasts and drone pilots, and should — if the FAA actually recognizes the court’s ruling — eliminate the registration requirement as well as the registration fee that it carried.
That being said, the court also noted in its ruling that the FAA may desire to amend or repeal the original 2012 act. “Congress is of course always free to repeal or amend its 2012 prohibition on FAA rules regarding model aircraft,” the court said in the ruling. “Perhaps Congress should do so. Perhaps not. In any event, we must follow the statute as written.”
*****************
Appeals Court Strikes Down FAA Registry of Recreational Drones
by ALEX JOHNSON
Federal rules requiring owners to register recreational drones with the government are illegal, and only Congress can fix them, a federal appeals court has ruled.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued rules in October 2015 requiring registration of drones — or "unmanned aerial vehicles" (UAVs) in governmentese — weighing more than a half-pound. The rules took effect in January 2016.
The half-pound threshold is light enough to cover many of the small remote-controlled drones you can buy at the department store, and John Taylor of Washington, D.C., sued in February 2016, arguing that another provision of federal law bars the government from regulating model aircraft.
In a ruling dated Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington agreed.
A quad race drone makes it way through hoops suspended from trees in the woods during the Flying Circus First Person View Festival on May 20, 2017 in Clifton Forge, Virginia. Heather Rousseau / AP
"The 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA 'may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,' yet the FAA's 2015 Registration Rule is a 'rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,'" Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote for the court (PDF).
"Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler," he wrote.
If the FAA wants to regulate drones, the court said, it must persuade Congress to repeal or change the 2012 law.
"Perhaps Congress should do so. Perhaps not. In any event, we must follow the statute as written," Kavanaugh wrote.
In a statement, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), an interest group for model airplane enthusiasts, welcomed the decision.
told NBC affiliate KHNL on Tuesday that the ruling was already causing confusion, leading owners to call his business for clarification.
"Commercial operators will still need to register, as it was before," Elliot said. "Just the hobbyist side right now is not required to register.
************************
Court’s ruling on hobby drone registration creates new questions
By Luke Geiver | May 24, 2017
Through a new ruling from a Circuit Court in Washington D.C., registration is no longer required for hobbyists flying drones for recreational purposes.
PHOTO: UAS MAGAZINE
A hobbyist drone pilot from Washington D.C. has altered the regulatory landscape for small unmanned aircraft vehicle flights across the entire U.S. Through his successful efforts to have the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s year-old drone registration policy struck down in a D.C. Court of Appeals, Taylor has eliminated the requirement for hobby drone owners to register their sUAVs with the FAA.
Following Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s ruling, effective immediately, hobbyist no longer need to register the drones they own or operate for non-commercial purposes. The drone registration and hobby versus commercial debate goes back to 2007. Through an FAA notice issued in 2007, commercial UAV operations were put under a robust set of regulations requiring operators to report an aircraft’s intended use, time, or number of flights, area of operation and other things. Hobby operators, however, were left out of the regulations.
A 2012 Congressional Act then reiterated the difference between hobby drones and those used for commercial purposes. Kavanaugh based his decision to strike down the FAA’s ability to require registration for all drones on the language from the 2012 Congressional Act. The act, as cited in Kavanaugh’s explanation for his decision, defines model aircraft as an unmanned aircraft that is capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere, flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft and flown for hobby or recreational purposes.
“The FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA “may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,” yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a “rule of regulation regarding a model aircraft.” Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The Registration Rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft,” Kavanaugh wrote in his decision.
Following the release of Kavanaugh’s decision, both the FAA and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International released short statements.
AUVSI President, who helped draft and push for the drone registration process, voiced disappointment. “A UAS registration system is important to promote accountability and responsibility by users of the national airspace, and helps create a culture of safety that deters careless and reckless behavior,” adding that AUVSI intends to work with Congress on a legislative solution that will ensure continued accountability.
The Academy of Model Aeronautics government affairs team also offered its own opinion. “We have repeatedly argued that federal registration for our community is duplicative and unnecessary, as our members already register their model aircraft with AMA,” government affairs for AMA said. “In addition, our 80-year history of safe and responsible flying demonstrates that we’re not the problem. We shouldn’t be burdened by overly broad regulations.”
The FAA said it was carefully reviewing the decision. “The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats. We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.”
Patrick Byrnes, a partner in law firm Locke Lord’s litigation department, said the opinion of the court suggests the FAA is precluded from regulating in any way the operations of drones used for recreational purposes. “Separate and apart from this decision, there are potential further constitutional challenges to the FAA’s regulatory authority over the commercial use of drones below 500 feet and in particular, on private property,” Byrnes said.
The ruling may also call into question other issues related to the FAA’s regulatory authority, according to Thaddeus Lightfoot, a partner at Dorsey & Whitney. “The opinion touches on but does not address the FAA’s regulatory authority for drones flown for a “commercial purpose” and those flown “for hobby or recreational purposes.” The FAA is broadly construing a “commercial purpose” as a flight for a direct or indirect benefit, even if not money is involved,” Lightfoot said. “So, over the last year the FAA has fined persons taking photographs from drones for their own use or the use of friends, construing the flight “for hobby or recreational purposes” very narrowly and the “commercial” use concept very broadly. This tension between recreational use and commercial use is likely to be the next frontier of drone litigation.”
******************
A NEW WHITE HOUSE PROPOSAL WOULD LEGALIZE SHOOTING DOWN DRONES
Law enforcement would be able to “track, hack and destroy” any drone perceived to be a threat.
BY
MAY 24, 2017 4:57 PM
By Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg/Getty Images.
Less than a week after an appeals court struck down a 2015 Federal Aviation __Administration ruling requiring drone enthusiasts to register their flying devices with the government, the White House is asking Congress to get involved. The Trump administration wants congressional authority to let law enforcement officers “track, hack and destroy any type of drone over domestic soil,” The New York Times reported Tuesday. The proposal would give government agencies the authority to track any unpiloted aircraft system flying over any “covered facility, location, or installation” in the United States.
The draft proposal, which the White House frames as protecting national security, would give law enforcement the ability to monitor, shoot down, seize, and destroy any drone perceived to be a threat. According to the Times, “the government would have to respect ‘privacy, civil rights and civil liberties’ when exercising that power,” but courts would not have jurisdiction to hear lawsuits from drone pilots whose vehicles were seized or destroyed. The executive branch reportedly circulated the proposed rules—which are part of the yet-to-be-disclosed annual National Defense Authorization Act—to several congressional committees on Tuesday, and scheduled a classified briefing for congressional staffers on Wednesday to discuss it.
Members of the drone community already seem opposed to the proposed rules. “We, as a responsible community, are not against regulation per se, and while we worked to aid the attorney responsible for the suing of the FAA re: recreational drone registration, we aren't diametrically opposed to the concept of regulating commercial drones in some way,” Steve Cohen, the president of the Drone User Group Network, told me. “What we are most concerned about is regulatory overreach and what constitutes a threat. The N.Y.T. article states that the administration demands warrantless searches of electronic data, seeks no guidance on what constitutes a threat, and wants no accountability after the fact. To the D.U.G. (Drone User Group Network) and I’m sure many other interested parties, that is a trifecta of ‘no.’”
Although some individual states already have rules similar to the proposed bill set forth by the executive branch, which allow law enforcement to disable drones in the name of public safety, but it’s early days for drone regulation, and the rules are still largely unlitigated. Current F.A.A. regulations stipulate that shooting down a drone, as law enforcement did in North Dakota during the Keystone Pipeline protests earlier this year, can be considered aircraft sabotage. The White House’s proposal would override this rule The new rules would also ostensibly not make exceptions for drone journalism—recording via drone—allowing police officers to shoot down reporters’ drones, alongside drones perceived as terrorist threats or invasions of privacy.
I forgot to post these last week.....
The FAA was just forced to lift its drone registration requirements
Mike Wehner
May 23rd, 2017 at 6:54 PM
Being a drone owner requires a few things. You need decent amount of cash if you want the high-end hardware, along with the patience and willingness to learn how to actually fly the thing. As of 2015, you also needed to register the aircraft (if weighs a half pound or more) with the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, a federal court in Washington, D.C. has ruled against that requirement, deeming the FAA’s mandatory registration “unlawful.”
The ruling, which was just handed down, is the culmination of a lawsuit brought against the FAA in February of 2016. At the time, hobbyist pilots alleged that the FAA didn’t have the power to make the registrations mandatory. The suit argued that drones, which are considered “model aircraft” by the FAA, fell under the protective umbrella of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which prevents the agency from setting forth any new rules or regulations.
The court agreed, stating:
In short, the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA “may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,” yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a “rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.” Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The Registration Rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft.
It’s a solid win for model aircraft enthusiasts and drone pilots, and should — if the FAA actually recognizes the court’s ruling — eliminate the registration requirement as well as the registration fee that it carried.
That being said, the court also noted in its ruling that the FAA may desire to amend or repeal the original 2012 act. “Congress is of course always free to repeal or amend its 2012 prohibition on FAA rules regarding model aircraft,” the court said in the ruling. “Perhaps Congress should do so. Perhaps not. In any event, we must follow the statute as written.”
*****************
Appeals Court Strikes Down FAA Registry of Recreational Drones
by ALEX JOHNSON
Federal rules requiring owners to register recreational drones with the government are illegal, and only Congress can fix them, a federal appeals court has ruled.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued rules in October 2015 requiring registration of drones — or "unmanned aerial vehicles" (UAVs) in governmentese — weighing more than a half-pound. The rules took effect in January 2016.
The half-pound threshold is light enough to cover many of the small remote-controlled drones you can buy at the department store, and John Taylor of Washington, D.C., sued in February 2016, arguing that another provision of federal law bars the government from regulating model aircraft.
In a ruling dated Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington agreed.
A quad race drone makes it way through hoops suspended from trees in the woods during the Flying Circus First Person View Festival on May 20, 2017 in Clifton Forge, Virginia. Heather Rousseau / AP
"The 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA 'may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,' yet the FAA's 2015 Registration Rule is a 'rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,'" Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote for the court (PDF).
"Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler," he wrote.
If the FAA wants to regulate drones, the court said, it must persuade Congress to repeal or change the 2012 law.
"Perhaps Congress should do so. Perhaps not. In any event, we must follow the statute as written," Kavanaugh wrote.
In a statement, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), an interest group for model airplane enthusiasts, welcomed the decision.
told NBC affiliate KHNL on Tuesday that the ruling was already causing confusion, leading owners to call his business for clarification.
"Commercial operators will still need to register, as it was before," Elliot said. "Just the hobbyist side right now is not required to register.
************************
Court’s ruling on hobby drone registration creates new questions
By Luke Geiver | May 24, 2017
Through a new ruling from a Circuit Court in Washington D.C., registration is no longer required for hobbyists flying drones for recreational purposes.
PHOTO: UAS MAGAZINE
A hobbyist drone pilot from Washington D.C. has altered the regulatory landscape for small unmanned aircraft vehicle flights across the entire U.S. Through his successful efforts to have the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s year-old drone registration policy struck down in a D.C. Court of Appeals, Taylor has eliminated the requirement for hobby drone owners to register their sUAVs with the FAA.
Following Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s ruling, effective immediately, hobbyist no longer need to register the drones they own or operate for non-commercial purposes. The drone registration and hobby versus commercial debate goes back to 2007. Through an FAA notice issued in 2007, commercial UAV operations were put under a robust set of regulations requiring operators to report an aircraft’s intended use, time, or number of flights, area of operation and other things. Hobby operators, however, were left out of the regulations.
A 2012 Congressional Act then reiterated the difference between hobby drones and those used for commercial purposes. Kavanaugh based his decision to strike down the FAA’s ability to require registration for all drones on the language from the 2012 Congressional Act. The act, as cited in Kavanaugh’s explanation for his decision, defines model aircraft as an unmanned aircraft that is capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere, flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft and flown for hobby or recreational purposes.
“The FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA “may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,” yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a “rule of regulation regarding a model aircraft.” Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The Registration Rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft,” Kavanaugh wrote in his decision.
Following the release of Kavanaugh’s decision, both the FAA and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International released short statements.
AUVSI President, who helped draft and push for the drone registration process, voiced disappointment. “A UAS registration system is important to promote accountability and responsibility by users of the national airspace, and helps create a culture of safety that deters careless and reckless behavior,” adding that AUVSI intends to work with Congress on a legislative solution that will ensure continued accountability.
The Academy of Model Aeronautics government affairs team also offered its own opinion. “We have repeatedly argued that federal registration for our community is duplicative and unnecessary, as our members already register their model aircraft with AMA,” government affairs for AMA said. “In addition, our 80-year history of safe and responsible flying demonstrates that we’re not the problem. We shouldn’t be burdened by overly broad regulations.”
The FAA said it was carefully reviewing the decision. “The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats. We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.”
Patrick Byrnes, a partner in law firm Locke Lord’s litigation department, said the opinion of the court suggests the FAA is precluded from regulating in any way the operations of drones used for recreational purposes. “Separate and apart from this decision, there are potential further constitutional challenges to the FAA’s regulatory authority over the commercial use of drones below 500 feet and in particular, on private property,” Byrnes said.
The ruling may also call into question other issues related to the FAA’s regulatory authority, according to Thaddeus Lightfoot, a partner at Dorsey & Whitney. “The opinion touches on but does not address the FAA’s regulatory authority for drones flown for a “commercial purpose” and those flown “for hobby or recreational purposes.” The FAA is broadly construing a “commercial purpose” as a flight for a direct or indirect benefit, even if not money is involved,” Lightfoot said. “So, over the last year the FAA has fined persons taking photographs from drones for their own use or the use of friends, construing the flight “for hobby or recreational purposes” very narrowly and the “commercial” use concept very broadly. This tension between recreational use and commercial use is likely to be the next frontier of drone litigation.”
******************
A NEW WHITE HOUSE PROPOSAL WOULD LEGALIZE SHOOTING DOWN DRONES
Law enforcement would be able to “track, hack and destroy” any drone perceived to be a threat.
BY
MAY 24, 2017 4:57 PM
By Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg/Getty Images.
Less than a week after an appeals court struck down a 2015 Federal Aviation __Administration ruling requiring drone enthusiasts to register their flying devices with the government, the White House is asking Congress to get involved. The Trump administration wants congressional authority to let law enforcement officers “track, hack and destroy any type of drone over domestic soil,” The New York Times reported Tuesday. The proposal would give government agencies the authority to track any unpiloted aircraft system flying over any “covered facility, location, or installation” in the United States.
The draft proposal, which the White House frames as protecting national security, would give law enforcement the ability to monitor, shoot down, seize, and destroy any drone perceived to be a threat. According to the Times, “the government would have to respect ‘privacy, civil rights and civil liberties’ when exercising that power,” but courts would not have jurisdiction to hear lawsuits from drone pilots whose vehicles were seized or destroyed. The executive branch reportedly circulated the proposed rules—which are part of the yet-to-be-disclosed annual National Defense Authorization Act—to several congressional committees on Tuesday, and scheduled a classified briefing for congressional staffers on Wednesday to discuss it.
Members of the drone community already seem opposed to the proposed rules. “We, as a responsible community, are not against regulation per se, and while we worked to aid the attorney responsible for the suing of the FAA re: recreational drone registration, we aren't diametrically opposed to the concept of regulating commercial drones in some way,” Steve Cohen, the president of the Drone User Group Network, told me. “What we are most concerned about is regulatory overreach and what constitutes a threat. The N.Y.T. article states that the administration demands warrantless searches of electronic data, seeks no guidance on what constitutes a threat, and wants no accountability after the fact. To the D.U.G. (Drone User Group Network) and I’m sure many other interested parties, that is a trifecta of ‘no.’”
Although some individual states already have rules similar to the proposed bill set forth by the executive branch, which allow law enforcement to disable drones in the name of public safety, but it’s early days for drone regulation, and the rules are still largely unlitigated. Current F.A.A. regulations stipulate that shooting down a drone, as law enforcement did in North Dakota during the Keystone Pipeline protests earlier this year, can be considered aircraft sabotage. The White House’s proposal would override this rule The new rules would also ostensibly not make exceptions for drone journalism—recording via drone—allowing police officers to shoot down reporters’ drones, alongside drones perceived as terrorist threats or invasions of privacy.
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Georgia county police use drones to investigate serious traffic wrecks (with related video)
Government Product News
Michael Keating
In the photo: the new GCPD drone will be used to investigate fatal accidents, large crime scenes, tactical and hostage situations and disasters.
Gwinnett County Police Department
The Gwinnett County, Ga., police department (GCPD) has expanded its accident investigation technology with the addition of a drone. Officers in the department rely on the small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to fly over accident and incident scenes and record pictures and video. The drone, says department staff, gives officers a more comprehensive view. The drone also reduces time needed for investigations.
Ultimately, motorists in Gwinnett County, which is about 30 miles from Atlanta, may see shorter backups and traffic snarls after vehicle wrecks. As the drone speeds up investigations, motorists may see fewer blocked roads and traffic delays. Two of the department’s officers are certified as drone operators. GCPD believes it is the first law enforcement agency in Georgia to seek drone approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
"We're able to launch this thing," Lt. Chris Smith of the GCPD told Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News, "and within five minutes have pictures of the entire scene." The department believes the drone will be deployed in the future for a number of applications besides traffic wrecks. Officers predict that the drone can be a valuable resource in searches for missing persons. Other potential applications include gathering valuable video and measuring damages at natural disasters. The device could also deliver reconnaissance video at prison breaks and at-large crime scenes.
The drone that the GCPD purchased is a DJI Inspire 1 Model T600. It is a quad copter rotorcraft that weighs approximately 6.4 pounds. The engine type is electric. It runs on a battery that can operate the drone for approximately 10 minutes.
For police departments around the U.S. that are considering acquiring a drone, the GCPD’s Lieutenant Christopher Smith advises that they do their homework. Smith tells GPN: “Other departments that are looking into a drone should do their research on what they will use the drone for and the many types of drones that are out there. The drone has limitations and may not be able to do what you want it to do.”
Smith says that it is crucial that departments develop a policy on the usage of the drone prior to implementing a drone program. He adds: “Coordination with the county/city law department is important to help guide them through any legal issues/concerns that may arise. The FAA may also require a Public Declaration letter.”
Police departments, says Lt. Smith, should learn about drone regulations and coordinate with an FAA representative. “Visit this site for information on small UAS/drone usage and contact info,” adds Smith.
Earlier this week, the FAA issued new comprehensive regulations for routine non-recreational use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – more popularly known as “drones.” The new Small UAS Rule (Part 107), includes pilot and operating rules.
The provisions of the new rule – formally known as Part 107 – are designed to minimize risks to other aircraft and people and property on the ground. A summary is available here. (PDF). Go here for general FAA information on UAS.
In the video, Gwinnett County emergency teams research drone use in fires and other emergency situations.
*************
Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire uses drones for missing children, water rescue calls
By Abbey O'BrienPublished: May 16, 2017, 12:14 am Updated: May 16, 2017, 9:01 am
MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – Over the weekend, the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District used an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), better known as a drone, to help find a missing child.
“We were given a large span to cover,” said Captain Jerry Howerton. “We were able to cover it without any kind of issues. We set up a grid search with the drone.”
The boy walked from Seaside Elementary School to Glenns Bay Road Friday afternoon.
“We had six guys going through the woods trying to trample through a lot of brush to find him,” said Capt. Howerton.
The boy was found safe with the help of the Horry County Police Department.
“We had a lot of folks close by the child as he was getting picked up and they could hear us right over him so we were picking up on him pretty quick,” added Capt. Howerton.
The Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District has a second drone used primarily for water rescues.
“The other aircraft we have has the payload capacity where we can drop objects. We have a couple floatation devices, we can drop two-way radios, bottled water to stranded vessels, swimmers in distress, things of that nature,” said Capt. Howerton.
Another feature they’re working on is adding smoke flairs to the bottom of the drone.
“If we get overtop of someone who’s in distress we can pop the smoke and it gives us about a 20-foot column of smoke underneath,” added Capt. Howerton. “That way all of our resources can narrow in on them.”
The technology is helping the department get a new perspective on emergency calls when seconds matter.
“It helps us get there quick, identify the issue quick and get all of our resources to them timely,” added Capt. Howerton.
The department is looking to purchase a third drone which would have thermal imaging.
“We will be able to pick up body heat signatures even at night time with it, so we’re really looking forward to that,” said Capt. Howerton. “It will also be able to give us another point of view on house fires and brush fires so we can find source of heat or extension of heat and be able to either track out our brush fires or be able to put a 360-degree view on house fires.”
Capt. Howerton hopes to get the drone within six to eight months and is confident the airborne tools will save lives.
Georgia county police use drones to investigate serious traffic wrecks (with related video)
Government Product News
Michael Keating
In the photo: the new GCPD drone will be used to investigate fatal accidents, large crime scenes, tactical and hostage situations and disasters.
Gwinnett County Police Department
The Gwinnett County, Ga., police department (GCPD) has expanded its accident investigation technology with the addition of a drone. Officers in the department rely on the small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to fly over accident and incident scenes and record pictures and video. The drone, says department staff, gives officers a more comprehensive view. The drone also reduces time needed for investigations.
Ultimately, motorists in Gwinnett County, which is about 30 miles from Atlanta, may see shorter backups and traffic snarls after vehicle wrecks. As the drone speeds up investigations, motorists may see fewer blocked roads and traffic delays. Two of the department’s officers are certified as drone operators. GCPD believes it is the first law enforcement agency in Georgia to seek drone approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
"We're able to launch this thing," Lt. Chris Smith of the GCPD told Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News, "and within five minutes have pictures of the entire scene." The department believes the drone will be deployed in the future for a number of applications besides traffic wrecks. Officers predict that the drone can be a valuable resource in searches for missing persons. Other potential applications include gathering valuable video and measuring damages at natural disasters. The device could also deliver reconnaissance video at prison breaks and at-large crime scenes.
The drone that the GCPD purchased is a DJI Inspire 1 Model T600. It is a quad copter rotorcraft that weighs approximately 6.4 pounds. The engine type is electric. It runs on a battery that can operate the drone for approximately 10 minutes.
For police departments around the U.S. that are considering acquiring a drone, the GCPD’s Lieutenant Christopher Smith advises that they do their homework. Smith tells GPN: “Other departments that are looking into a drone should do their research on what they will use the drone for and the many types of drones that are out there. The drone has limitations and may not be able to do what you want it to do.”
Smith says that it is crucial that departments develop a policy on the usage of the drone prior to implementing a drone program. He adds: “Coordination with the county/city law department is important to help guide them through any legal issues/concerns that may arise. The FAA may also require a Public Declaration letter.”
Police departments, says Lt. Smith, should learn about drone regulations and coordinate with an FAA representative. “Visit this site for information on small UAS/drone usage and contact info,” adds Smith.
Earlier this week, the FAA issued new comprehensive regulations for routine non-recreational use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – more popularly known as “drones.” The new Small UAS Rule (Part 107), includes pilot and operating rules.
The provisions of the new rule – formally known as Part 107 – are designed to minimize risks to other aircraft and people and property on the ground. A summary is available here. (PDF). Go here for general FAA information on UAS.
In the video, Gwinnett County emergency teams research drone use in fires and other emergency situations.
*************
Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire uses drones for missing children, water rescue calls
By Abbey O'BrienPublished: May 16, 2017, 12:14 am Updated: May 16, 2017, 9:01 am
MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – Over the weekend, the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District used an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), better known as a drone, to help find a missing child.
“We were given a large span to cover,” said Captain Jerry Howerton. “We were able to cover it without any kind of issues. We set up a grid search with the drone.”
The boy walked from Seaside Elementary School to Glenns Bay Road Friday afternoon.
“We had six guys going through the woods trying to trample through a lot of brush to find him,” said Capt. Howerton.
The boy was found safe with the help of the Horry County Police Department.
“We had a lot of folks close by the child as he was getting picked up and they could hear us right over him so we were picking up on him pretty quick,” added Capt. Howerton.
The Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District has a second drone used primarily for water rescues.
“The other aircraft we have has the payload capacity where we can drop objects. We have a couple floatation devices, we can drop two-way radios, bottled water to stranded vessels, swimmers in distress, things of that nature,” said Capt. Howerton.
Another feature they’re working on is adding smoke flairs to the bottom of the drone.
“If we get overtop of someone who’s in distress we can pop the smoke and it gives us about a 20-foot column of smoke underneath,” added Capt. Howerton. “That way all of our resources can narrow in on them.”
The technology is helping the department get a new perspective on emergency calls when seconds matter.
“It helps us get there quick, identify the issue quick and get all of our resources to them timely,” added Capt. Howerton.
The department is looking to purchase a third drone which would have thermal imaging.
“We will be able to pick up body heat signatures even at night time with it, so we’re really looking forward to that,” said Capt. Howerton. “It will also be able to give us another point of view on house fires and brush fires so we can find source of heat or extension of heat and be able to either track out our brush fires or be able to put a 360-degree view on house fires.”
Capt. Howerton hopes to get the drone within six to eight months and is confident the airborne tools will save lives.
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