FAA's Registration Requirement for Hobby Drones Shot Down by US Court of Appeals

[Loner556]

US Court of appeals DC Circuit just shot down the FAA's requirement for registering drones used for hobby / recreation. It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

FAA's drone registration rule suffers major setback

 

[Dascheaten]

Does this ruling only apply to registration? What about the 5 mile airport restriction?

Obviously, I don't want to run down to the airport and start chasing small planes. But my house is within 5 miles of a small airport and it would be nice to not have to worry about it.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I very surprised this played out like that. I figured the faa argument of "model aircraft are aircraft, and aircraft have always needed to be registered, so this isn't a newly promulgated requirement"would win. Guess I don't need to print stickers for my fleet anymore.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Does this ruling only apply to registration? What about the 5 mile airport restriction?

Registration only

 

[Loner556]

The FAA can appeal. However, this lawsuit was won BC the FAA Modernization and Reform Act states that the FAA can't regulate "model aircraft". I'm thinking Congress will step in and add provisions for regulations on hobby use.

It's my understanding that after today, you can fly without your registration number until further action is taken. We'll just have to see how this plays out.

I want my 5 bucks back.

 

[Lon Snyder]

Does this ruling only apply to registration? What about the 5 mile airport restriction?

Obviously, I don't want to run down to the airport and start chasing small planes. But my house is within 5 miles of a small airport and it would be nice to not have to worry about it.

The requirement to give notice to an airport within 5 miles of your flight location remains as it is part of the 2012 special rule for model aircraft section 336. Only way to have the possibility of reducing that is to get your part 107 remote pilot certificate. Then you don't need to notify heliports nor airports that are not within controlled airspace.

 

[pyrate]

Putting on my prophet hat
in 9 months someone will plow a phantom into a crowd and severely injure several people
it will run non stop for two days on the news
the congress will convene a new law will be passed

and all the hobbyist will weep longing for the day it was as simple as paying 5 bucks and putting a number on your bird

 

[OVERtheBITE]

Id expect a mandatory liability insurance eventually.

 

[Maxheadspace]

US Court of appeals DC Circuit just shot down the FAA's requirement for registering drones used for hobby / recreation. It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

FAA's drone registration rule suffers major setback

Yeah, this is a major shift, though I wouldn't start dancing yet. The FAA rushed the drone registration process because Congress was breathing down their back to take action. In all likelihood, there will be new legislation coming soon. But in the end I worry less about the FAA than I do local laws and regulations. Cities and communities are turning out to be absolute tyrants when it comes to drone flying. I WANT the FAA to have control, because if they defer to local communities to regulate drones we will be in a world of hurt. Local governments are NOT our friends. Cities want to suppress drone flying, the FAA wants to ensure drone flying is safe.

P.S., I don't work for the FAA!

 

[just_bruce]

Putting on my prophet hat
in 9 months someone will plow a phantom into a crowd and severely injure several people
it will run non stop for two days on the news
the congress will convene a new law will be passed

and all the hobbyist will weep longing for the day it was as simple as paying 5 bucks and putting a number on your bird

I'm finding it hard to imagine a Phantom or similar size craft severely injuring several people. At least by the definition of seriously I know. That being lacerations requiring stitches/staples, loss of consciousness, or broken bone.

I'm not saying someone won't do something exceedingly stupid with a multi rotor or other hobby aircraft, mind you...

 

[pyrate]

so you don't think a phantom can cause lacerations that require stitches
watch youtube much?

 

[just_bruce]

I've seen plenty of lacerations, but most appear to me to be of the band-aid or small amount of wound glue type. Do they suck? Yes. Is it okay for them to happen? No. I wasn't taking issue with the premise, just the proposed level of injury a bird that size can do.

 

[Kirk123]

I hadn't realized that the FAA registration was about to be shot down by drone hobbyist. Was probably not that solid of a ruling to begin with. I would look for other rules to take affect.

 

[pyrate]

I've seen plenty of lacerations, but most appear to me to be of the band-aid or small amount of wound glue type. Do they suck? Yes. Is it okay for them to happen? No. I wasn't taking issue with the premise, just the proposed level of injury a bird that size can do.

Then please feel free to fly yours into people
Sorry but a 10 inch prop on a consumer drone can and will cause lacerations that require stitches
Saying it cannot is just a way to rationalize away the truth

 

[andrew.baker.142]

Drone registration isn't going to stop people from doing stupid things any more than gun registration has stopped murders, but as was said above I'd rather have the FAA making these rules instead of any local government agencies.
I'm always amazed at the general public perception of risk and UAS operations. If you were to watch the news you would think people were being injured and maimed daily by small UAS. The irony is that 40,000 people are being killed in car accidents each year in the US alone, but no one thinks twice about hopping in their car every day.

 

[User Name]

I've seen plenty of lacerations, but most appear to me to be of the band-aid or small amount of wound glue type. Do they suck? Yes. Is it okay for them to happen? No. I wasn't taking issue with the premise, just the proposed level of injury a bird that size can do.

I've done numbers on myself that, if I were a run to the ER/clinic type, would have definitely required stitches!

There was a case a year or so ago in England where someone lost control of their drone, it struck a small child and ended up in the loss of one of the child's eyes. Really tragic, no question, but probably close to a "freak accident" type of scenario. I think death/broken bones type accidents would be similar. Severe lacerations type accidents are certain possible, but given the amount of drones already sold and the scarcity of reports already, probably generally rare, at least involving bystanders.

I may be being optimistic/naïve, but I'm hoping the drone fad has, or is pretty close, to passing. I just don't see them in the news daily as we did a year or two ago. We're not seeing weekly reports from airline pilots who heard from a passenger's uncle's first cousin's brother's wife that they saw something out the window, and determined beyond all doubt that it was a drone, and only missed being ingested by the engine by 3cm, all at 38,000 feet AGL!

If things remain calm and quiet, all these regulations will look more and more like overzealous knee-jerk reactions. If, as Pyrate, some idiot proceeds to severely injure someone or fly into an airliner, you can be sure lawmakers will go to town.

 

[Frank Foster]

I still don't get it I guess. All humans are responsible for their actions, regardless of laws, insurance, rules, regulations, whatever! For instance, If I go out in my yard and throw a frisby and it hits my neighbor in the eye, I'm responsible. Same if it hits his window and breaks it, I'm responsible, or if my lawn mower chucks a rock that causes some kind of damage. NO laws, rules or regulations are going to effect that. So, what's all the who-ha about?

 

[User Name]

So, what's all the who-ha about?

A: Irresponsible idiots.
B: Lawmakers needing to justify their existence.
C: Paranoid citizens who desire government to protect them from any and all harm.

That's pretty much it. Put those 3 things together, and you'll get an innocuous hobby regulated out of existence.

 

[andrew.baker.142]

A: Irresponsible idiots.
B: Lawmakers needing to justify their existence.
C: Paranoid citizens who desire government to protect them from any and all harm.

That's pretty much it. Put those 3 things together, and you'll get an innocuous hobby regulated out of existence.

You forgot the most important one of all;
News agency's trying to create a crisis so they have something important to talk about at 6PM.

 

[just_bruce]

You forgot the most important one of all;
News agency's trying to create a crisis so they have something important to talk about at 6PM.

I think that falls under Letter A...