register your drone as possible.

Looks to be legit... Unfortunately. So many questions... How does forcing one to register their quadcopter stop them from using it illegally? Unless it's brought down by authorities how can it be identified? Will this be an end to the diy quadcopter?

The thing that always gets me in cases like this is what I like to call perceived danger vs real danger. People are always talking about what could happen vs what really happens. How many times in the last year did something bad actually happen as a result of an unmanned aircraft being somewhere it shouldnt?
 
How does forcing one to register their quadcopter stop them from using it illegally? Unless it's brought down by authorities how can it be identified?

Exactly, unless there's a way to automatically bring down drones that are being used illegally, and then you have to actually go out and find the thing, this doesn't inherently stop anything. And if you could automatically bring down drones being flown into restricted airspace... you really don't need to register them, just zap them out of the sky.

Will this be an end to the diy quadcopter?

Unlikely, all the parts that go into a drone are also commonly used for other craft - almost all flight controllers can be configured to be used for ground-based vehicles, and that's the part that really makes a "drone" a "drone". It's not like they can outlaw brushless motors and ESCs.
 
Here in Ca. one politician is pushing for registration for drones, as well as making it a punishable offense for flying over or near fires and hindering first responders efforts. Then she goes on to say she wants it to be illegal to fly within 2 miles of any airport. I guess she doesn,t read the FAA recommendations. Politicians.....gotta love em!
 
this process i believe is to be used to identify the user of the drone in the event of unlawful use is that right

But how would the drone be identified if it's not disabled/crashed/confiscated?

N numbers can only be so large on a little drone, even on a Solo. For this to be effective, there has to be a way to confiscate the drone and look up the owner based on some identifying code. So that requires the drone to crash/be disabled/retrieved or enforcement personal actively track the drone to it's landing location and apprehends the operator. While I wouldn't put it past our government to attempt to create a nation-wide drone tracking swat team, always looking at the skies for nefarious airspace incursions, probably flying police helicopters at a cost of $10,000 per flight hour, this is probably not going to happen.

They could require all drones to have a transponder for identification, but that's going to add cost, potentially debilitating weight and power usage, won't address drones already sold or DIY ones.

Not arguing that some measures are unfortunately necessary, I just don't see simple registration as solving anything other than giving the cursory appearance of a solution.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SloppyDingo
Here in Ca. one politician is pushing for registration for drones, as well as making it a punishable offense for flying over or near fires and hindering first responders efforts. Then she goes on to say she wants it to be illegal to fly within 2 miles of any airport. I guess she doesn,t read the FAA recommendations. Politicians.....gotta love em!
All of those laws were vetoed.
 
Unlikely, all the parts that go into a drone are also commonly used for other craft - almost all flight controllers can be configured to be used for ground-based vehicles, and that's the part that really makes a "drone" a "drone". It's not like they can outlaw brushless motors and ESCs.
I agree totally... They could never place a ban on those types of items. I guess the point I was trying to make is how could they possibly enforce these rules on the diy side of this hobby.

Something else I thought of, so now what constitutes a " drone"... While some (like the solo) have robust automation features, others are little more than just an RC aircraft. So does this mean anyone flying an RC aircraft will need to have it registered? I'm willing to bet the AMA will have something to say about this.
 
They will simply require a one pound transponder be added to every drone that also ties into the controller so they can seize control. Manufacturing or constructing a drone without this requisite device will be a felony. This will of course require a whole 'nutha batch of bureaucratic overseers and taxes and fees which is the real reason they will cram it down our throats whilst reaching for our wallets.

So far the only sure things in this life are death and taxes, and we're not so sure about death...
 
  • Like
Reactions: prowler9
In these sad times, the appearance of solving the problem while actually just adding to government size and coffers seems to be more important than actually doing anything useful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SloppyDingo
Last edited:
Something else I thought of, so now what constitutes a " drone"... While some (like the solo) have robust automation features, others are little more than just an RC aircraft. So does this mean anyone flying an RC aircraft will need to have it registered? I'm willing to bet the AMA will have something to say about this.

I've read a description that basically goes like this - when an aircraft is flying autonomously, it's a drone, if it's directly controlled, it's simply an RC plane/heli/multirotor. Which puts the Solo in an interesting position - it's a drone while executing smart shots or following a flight plan, but an RC multirotor when not.

But I suspect "drone" is more of a blanket term for any multirotors, even though I think the above definition is probably correct technologically.

The question of whether or not RC airplanes and helis will fall under this registration program is a good one. I could take the pixhawk from my quadcopter, throw it onto a heli and have all the same autonomous capabilities, I would love see the look on these government imbeciles faces when asked if my heli would need to be registered as a drone.
 
Here in Ca. one politician is pushing for registration for drones, as well as making it a punishable offense for flying over or near fires and hindering first responders efforts. Then she goes on to say she wants it to be illegal to fly within 2 miles of any airport. I guess she doesn,t read the FAA recommendations. Politicians.....gotta love em!
Here in California there are so many laws you don't even know you're breaking half of them, new drone law's should create a lot of new revenue for the city of Los Angeles because at the end of the day it's just the rich getting richer and finding new ways to tax us down some more. What do they expect to get by having people register their personal drones, stupid people are still going to do stupid things, responsible people are going to continue to be responsible, only difference is there going to collect off both of them regardless of any fact mark my words this is about to turn in to a ultra expensive hobby.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
13,093
Messages
147,741
Members
16,048
Latest member
ihatethatihavetomakeanacc