Drone with camera found on Fort Worth,Texas Military Base runway

[ArrUnTuS]

Arruntus, sorry I didn't catch your response. You are correct we aren't talking about regular aviation, but we are talking about people that have the responsibility to not endanger others or do stupid things. My point being that general and commercial aviation today is raising many concerns over drone operations. Some of the younger pilots today see there careers going to autonomous flight, what they aren't willing to admit, it is already here.
The professional pilots complaining to the FAA and NTSB can have an effect on new rules applied to drones. The other factor is the human factor and all of us no matter how experienced are capable of making serious mistakes.
I think we need to try to relate to the professional pilots, learn from them, enlighten them, and by all means learn to coexist.
Africa is now has drones fly up to 100 miles and delivering medical supplies, how do you think that makes the pilot feel that was once getting paid well to make those deliveries.
I was once a crop duster, I now see drones set up for that purpose, and in all truth, I think a drone is better suited for the job, especially small acreage close to cities and highways.

In the end, we agree. The intention of my previous answer is to make it clear that we, drone pilots, who we are not pilots of piloted aircraft do not have the culture that you, pilots of piloted aircraft have for a simple reason, we do not ride on the aircraft we fly and therefore our lives are not in danger. This small but important detail makes you see things in a different perspective. I'm clear, a person's safety is above all else, including my drone or my "freedom" to fly or do whatever I want.

The rest was an attempt, from my point of view, to classify the different types of drone pilots that I believe exist, and therefore their way of thinking.

For the pilots who don't have it clear, I think the solution is to teach them and not to impose restrictions that affect us all.

Indeed, now, and gradually more and more, much of the work that pilots of manned vehicles used to do is going to be done by drones. The drones, for aviation, are being a new revolution, I'm afraid there's no choice but to renew or die. Market law.

Of course we have to learn from pilots of manned aircraft. Much or almost all of the regulations they have been complying with are being applied to us as well, since we share the same environment. Never despise a veteran. Experience teaches more than universities

P.D.: Sorry about my English, sometimes the translator plays tricks on me and doesn't express what I really want to transmit

 

[Earnest Ward]

but we are not talking about aviation in general, about manned aircraft, we are talking about unmanned aircraft.

Actually, we are talking about aviation in general. We're talking about the National Airspace System. And we're talking about the integration of sUAS into that system.

The drone industry is in its infancy - much as hang-glides and ultra-lights were in the 70s and 80s (only drones are far more popular and FAR more abundant than their 70s/80s counterpart.)

The FAA is in regulatory catch-up mode (some have said "education" mode) and, quite frankly, the chaos and confusion is only exacerbated by our retail system. (Can you imagine if car dealers sold vehicles to individuals and then simply left it to the buyer to discover for themselves that there were rules concerning vehicle registration and driver licensing?)

Greater regulatory oversight is coming. (Just as it did for the earlier hang-gliders, ultra-lights and "sports" category aircraft.) And, for those of us who hope to build businesses around these new aircraft, that has the potential of being a VERY good thing. Just a few examples: Carswell isn't in the system (yet) but the new LAANC system just doubled the "actionable" airspace for those of us in the DFW area. Many of us have applied forIt's feasible that we'll have a functioning IPP system for sUAS in 2 years or so (Manned aircraft are required to have ADS-B starting in 2020.) And many stakeholders see IPP as the stepping stone to BVLOS for commercial drone operators. And THAT will open all sorts of business opportunities for Part 107 operators.

It is - like someone else posted previously - the Wild, Wild West out there. But it's also a very exciting time to be in.

Cheers!

 

[ArrUnTuS]

Ummmmmmmmm you have given an example that I understand can be equated to drones. Is it necessary to know how to drive in order to buy a car? Do I need to have a driver's license? It is not necessary

Is it necessary to know the airline regulations to buy a drone? It is not necessary

Do I need a driver's license to drive a car on public streets? Yes, (except in teaching or with someone who is responsible for driving, teachers, etc.).

Do I need a license to fly a drone? We have two possible answers. Yes, for professional use and not for recreational use. This is where the problems arise.

That is why I distinguish between aviation in general, piloted aircraft pilots (where everyone must have a license) and drones (where not everyone must have a license and therefore knowledge).

And now for the million-dollar question. How is it possible that people without any kind of training can access an environment (the airspace that is so rigidly controlled) and not know anything about the regulations that govern it? Can anyone imagine a person driving a truck without knowing anything about the traffic code?

 

[Earnest Ward]

Ummmmmmmmm you have given an example that I understand can be equated to drones. Is it necessary to know how to drive in order to buy a car? Do I need to have a driver's license? It is not necessary

Is it necessary to know the airline regulations to buy a drone? It is not necessary

Do I need a driver's license to drive a car on public streets? Yes, (except in teaching or with someone who is responsible for driving, teachers, etc.).

Do I need a license to fly a drone? We have two possible answers. Yes, for professional use and not for recreational use. This is where the problems arise.

That is why I distinguish between aviation in general, piloted aircraft pilots (where everyone must have a license) and drones (where not everyone must have a license and therefore knowledge).

And now for the million-dollar question. How is it possible that people without any kind of training can access an environment (the airspace that is so rigidly controlled) and not know anything about the regulations that govern it? Can anyone imagine a person driving a truck without knowing anything about the traffic code?

I can't address the issue of what may, or may not be legal (on the roads or in the air) in another country. And, with regards to road vehicles, even making blanket statements about regulations across the US may be dicey.

However, generally speaking, in the US you can't even test drive a new car without a license. And, when purchasing a new car, the buyer must show a valid driver's license and proof of insurance AND complete the vehicle registration & licensing before leaving the car lot.

Student drivers (in the US) must have a student driver's permit/license and most states have certain stipulations regarding the driving instructor's qualifications.

You are correct that drone owners/operators are not required to know the airline regulations (in the US, that would be FAR Part 121.) But, then, neither are Sport, Private, or even Commercial pilots, who (again, in the US) fly primarily under FAR Part 91.

From the point of view of a commercial drone operator I think (and this is merely my own opinion; to each his own) that the faster "we" are integrated into the NAS the better for all (both from a commercial and safety point of view.) Passive compliance (i.e., automated drone registration at the point of purchase, and onboard real-time telecommunication of sUAS ID & flight data) will go a long way toward making that happen. (And let's face it - if we're not integrated into the NAS we may very well find ourselves shut out of the NAS.)

The "system" will also very likely undergo changes as all stakeholders get a better idea of what's needed to give everyone fast, safe, affordable access to the NAS. Among the possible changes: AMA/"hobbyists" privileges and regulatory obligations (It wasn't too many years ago that the majority of AMA aircraft would have been "fly-by-wire", fixed wing, and gas powered - that has certainly changed.); IPP-compliant 2-way telecommunication for every registered sUAS/drone (already in the works); and, very possibly, a more robust testing system for the Part 107 license(s)*, similar to that required of manned aircraft pilots (i.e., a written exam AND a flight proficiency exam.)

*We may also see the introduction of multi-tiered licenses - Private/Sport for "hobbyists" and Commercial for professionals.

Anyway, that's my two cent's worth on the subject so I'll sign off. (Gotta go fly.) Will refrain from rolled eyes though - it makes it difficult to maintain VLOS.

 

[ArrUnTuS]

*We may also see the introduction of multi-tiered licenses - Private/Sport for "hobbyists" and Commercial for professionals.

I think that would be necessary. Commercial pilots must already have that knowledge. Amateur pilots either simply fly in limited areas for amateur flights, or they should obtain "another" licence for flights in general airspace. This would ensure that they had sufficient knowledge. That's how I see it.

 

[R.Perry]

I think that would be necessary. Commercial pilots must already have that knowledge. Amateur pilots either simply fly in limited areas for amateur flights, or they should obtain "another" licence for flights in general airspace. This would ensure that they had sufficient knowledge. That's how I see it.

A pilot that has only a private license is allowed to fly in controlled airspace and can fly into any airport that allows general aviation aircraft. They can not fly for hire (commercially) nor can they fly IFR until they are IFR qualified. To be honest I don't know what the private requirements are today, but in the 70s it was 40 hrs, most students soloed between 7 and 10 hours. To get your license one needed to pass a flight test with an FAA examiner.

Look how long the military has been flying drones, and what they can do with them. The pilot can sit in a room, fly a combat mission, if he gets shot down, no big deal, he just goes to lunch and waits for his next done assignment. Some of that technology has now trickled down to the private sector and I see the potential for a tremendous future. I believe the military will have drone fighters in the near future if the don't have already.

The only draw back I see is antonymous flight is they are boring, and can make pilots lazy and lose situational awareness easily.

 

[ArrUnTuS]

When I talk about commercial pilots, I mean commercial drone pilots. They already have their license and therefore knowledge to enter any airspace they are allowed. Differentiation with amateur drivers who do not have "official" knowledge.

I totally agree. The photogrammetric or precision agriculture flights, in which the drone follows a flight plan and in which you do nothing, only to control that everything works correctly, by the monotony can make you lose your concentration.

Yesterday I made two flights of 30 minutes each and they don't get too heavy but it's true that the tendency is to not worry, and you should never lose concentration and constantly follow the evolution of the aircraft.
In a drone you could say that the same thing happens as in a piloted aircraft where with the autopilot, in a long flight, the pilots are 5 hours in a row, only controlling that everything works correctly. Losing concentration, falling asleep as has already happened to many pilots, can end up very badly. Another reason to work in pairs.