Drone industry needs self-regulation?

[Dustin]

I think everyone on this forum recognizes there is a 80/20 thing going on with drone incidents like this one
Someone crashed a drone into Seattle's Great Wheel. A small number of drone flyers are making novice mistakes, feeding the fear mongering news cycle and adding fuel to the drive for more regulation. I am not sure if there are estimates on this topic, but I am certain that when you compare the number of accidents to safe drone flights this represents a small percentage.

I can't help but wondering if the Dji and 3DR's of the world got together on safety technology standards this situation could be improved. Perhaps created an industry safety technology standard (collision avoidance, parachutes,etc) for consumer level drones? We got shoulder belts, airbags and anti-lock brakes in every car via regulation but maybe a voluntary industry safety technology baseline might stem the current tide of bad news? In my experience it's always better to get ahead of regulation. Usually self regulation is less painful than government mandated.

The hackers will always be able to build what they like outside these standards. But for the 20 percent that are causing so much reputational damage, self-imposed mandatory safe guards might be better for the industry overall.

My 2cents

 

[J R]

Dustin,

I hear what you're saying but don't think it will happen. Apparently the goal at this point from the manufacturers is to have a drone under every Chritmas tree this season. I see a real train wreck coming going into the new year.

Unfortunately, we live in an era where kids (sometime adults) get whatever they want. I'm mean jeez, 6 year olds with $500-$800 iPhones/iPads? These drones are being marketed as "Smart" and "Monkey Capable". Marketing alone is setting this industry up for disaster.

Back in May I wrote a piece to a third party developer regarding their rush to provide an autonomous app without a good alpha or beta program to vet the app. The response was quite rigid and abrupt. They basically said that they wouldn't put something out there if they hadn't "self-tested" it thoroughly themselves. As far as I know that developer is still struggling. Although I paid a premium price for the app, I never flew with it just because of their arrogance.

In that note I made a very predictable point. If the manufacturers and developers didn't self-regulate and stop marketing these sophisticated devices as toys, Uncle Sam most certainly would. My belief at the time I wrote the note is still the same. The hobbyists that many of us are will ultimately be regulated out of this endeavor or forced to fly within the boundaries of our own yard. I still believe that's what will happen.

In the end, the industry did it to themselves, these things are not toys and should have never been marketed as such in the first place. I consider myself to be of average intelligence and I have a tough time keeping everything straight and staying up to date on my three drones.

Be prepared for this very forum to become corrupted by all of the geniuses that will be coming here to complain about the piece of crap that they just spent all of this money on that doesn't do what they were told it would do. They are just a few short months away! They will provide Uncle Sam with all of the ammunition necessary to shut this hobby down.

Unfortunately, the commercial operators will bear the brunt of it with strict and overly bureaucratic oversight and enormous fees for everything from licensing, registrations, taxing, testing, quarterly or annual reporting and fines for ever tiny infraction. It's going to be a bloodbath for the ones that had the most to gain from a very unique and quite viable emerging industry. The whole thing is quite sad really.

Just be careful not to blame the idiots, they didn't create this issues, the manufacturers and developers did. I don't think the developers did so intentionally, they were catering to a specific group of more experienced operators. Unfortunately, the distribution channel of the App Store and Playstore, with their $10 apps, put advanced flight modes into the hands of all.

I believed all this in the beginning that's why I got in at the start. I got in knowing I'd get a year or two of great fun and accomplishment. I must say, I've gotten that and then some! When the red-tape really starts rolling, I'll jump out or perhaps become an outlaw!

All just my opinions of course.

Respectfully,

Jerry

 

[Bigskyflyer]

Dustin,

I hear what you're saying but don't think it will happen. Apparently the goal at this point from the manufacturers is to have a drone under every Chritmas tree this season. I see a real train wreck coming going into the new year.

Unfortunately, we live in an era where kids (sometime adults) get whatever they want. I'm mean jeez, 6 year olds with $500-$800 iPhones/iPads? These drones are being marketed as "Smart" and "Monkey Capable". Marketing alone is setting this industry up for disaster.

Back in May I wrote a piece to a third party developer regarding their rush to provide an autonomous app without a good alpha or beta program to vet the app. The response was quite rigid and abrupt. They basically said that they wouldn't put something out there if they hadn't "self-tested" it thoroughly themselves. As far as I know that developer is still struggling. Although I paid a premium price for the app, I never flew with it just because of their arrogance.

In that note I made a very predictable point. If the manufacturers and developers didn't self-regulate and stop marketing these sophisticated devices as toys, Uncle Sam most certainly would. My belief at the time I wrote the note is still the same. The hobbyists that many of us are will ultimately be regulated out of this endeavor or forced to fly within the boundaries of our own yard. I still believe that's what will happen.

In the end, the industry did it to themselves, these things are not toys and should have never been marketed as such in the first place. I consider myself to be of average intelligence and I have a tough time keeping everything straight and staying up to date on my three drones.

Be prepared for this very forum to become corrupted by all of the geniuses that will be coming here to complain about the piece of crap that they just spent all of this money on that doesn't do what they were told it would do. They are just a few short months away! They will provide Uncle Sam with all of the ammunition necessary to shut this hobby down.

Unfortunately, the commercial operators will bear the brunt of it with strict and overly bureaucratic oversight and enormous fees for everything from licensing, registrations, taxing, testing, quarterly or annual reporting and fines for ever tiny infraction. It's going to be a bloodbath for the ones that had the most to gain from a very unique and quite viable emerging industry. The whole thing is quite sad really.

Just be careful not to blame the idiots, they didn't create this issues, the manufacturers and developers did. I don't think the developers did so intentionally, they were catering to a specific group of more experienced operators. Unfortunately, the distribution channel of the App Store and Playstore, with their $10 apps, put advanced flight modes into the hands of all.

I believed all this in the beginning that's why I got in at the start. I got in knowing I'd get a year or two of great fun and accomplishment. I must say, I've gotten that and then some! When the red-tape really starts rolling, I'll jump out or perhaps become an outlaw!

All just my opinions of course.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Jerry, I could not agree with you more. If these manufacturers would put their greed aside and use common sense in there marketig they would realize the damage they are doing to the whole industry. With their marketing strategy, you are correct, we are going to have a bunch of 12 year olds out there flying these "toys" after Christmas. I don't know about you but that scares the hell out of me.

 

[Burkeam]

Dustin,

I hear what you're saying but don't think it will happen. Apparently the goal at this point from the manufacturers is to have a drone under every Chritmas tree this season. I see a real train wreck coming going into the new year.

Unfortunately, we live in an era where kids (sometime adults) get whatever they want. I'm mean jeez, 6 year olds with $500-$800 iPhones/iPads? These drones are being marketed as "Smart" and "Monkey Capable". Marketing alone is setting this industry up for disaster.

Back in May I wrote a piece to a third party developer regarding their rush to provide an autonomous app without a good alpha or beta program to vet the app. The response was quite rigid and abrupt. They basically said that they wouldn't put something out there if they hadn't "self-tested" it thoroughly themselves. As far as I know that developer is still struggling. Although I paid a premium price for the app, I never flew with it just because of their arrogance.

In that note I made a very predictable point. If the manufacturers and developers didn't self-regulate and stop marketing these sophisticated devices as toys, Uncle Sam most certainly would. My belief at the time I wrote the note is still the same. The hobbyists that many of us are will ultimately be regulated out of this endeavor or forced to fly within the boundaries of our own yard. I still believe that's what will happen.

In the end, the industry did it to themselves, these things are not toys and should have never been marketed as such in the first place. I consider myself to be of average intelligence and I have a tough time keeping everything straight and staying up to date on my three drones.

Be prepared for this very forum to become corrupted by all of the geniuses that will be coming here to complain about the piece of crap that they just spent all of this money on that doesn't do what they were told it would do. They are just a few short months away! They will provide Uncle Sam with all of the ammunition necessary to shut this hobby down.

Unfortunately, the commercial operators will bear the brunt of it with strict and overly bureaucratic oversight and enormous fees for everything from licensing, registrations, taxing, testing, quarterly or annual reporting and fines for ever tiny infraction. It's going to be a bloodbath for the ones that had the most to gain from a very unique and quite viable emerging industry. The whole thing is quite sad really.

Just be careful not to blame the idiots, they didn't create this issues, the manufacturers and developers did. I don't think the developers did so intentionally, they were catering to a specific group of more experienced operators. Unfortunately, the distribution channel of the App Store and Playstore, with their $10 apps, put advanced flight modes into the hands of all.

I believed all this in the beginning that's why I got in at the start. I got in knowing I'd get a year or two of great fun and accomplishment. I must say, I've gotten that and then some! When the red-tape really starts rolling, I'll jump out or perhaps become an outlaw!

All just my opinions of course.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Well said with little opposing thought. But 1st to Dustin point on safety feature. Watch out what you wish for. Enjoy being a pilot in this phase of the history of UAS. Those features are coming and in this 50 year old's lifetime. It will be to the point where the autonomous drone will be safer than most piloted system. Oh yea, if this is a shocker to you please consider you won't be driving your car either.

Now Jerry,
As a pilot and filed for my 333 I believe some burden will come my way. I will embrace it as I am privileged to fly my UAS.
My biggest disagreement is cost. I speak from my personal experience. I've owned two single engine planes. My cost to deal with the FAA and registration is next to nothing. The biggest cost to keep current is the bi-annual physical at $125 and the bi-annual flight review = $100. I don't pay a tax on it like my cars, I don't have to get plates and renewals. Let's see if that will change?

 

[J R]

I will embrace it as I am privileged to fly my UAS.

Burke,

See that's where I have a little rub, "privileged". I'm privileged enough to buy a fishing license, privileged to buy a permit to put my fish house on the ice, privileged to buy a hunting license, privileged to buy a permit to visit (just ride my motorcycle though, 10 minutes) a state park, privileged to pay a wheel tax for each of my vehicles, privileged to have half of what I pay for a gallon of gas go to the government and not have it used to fix my roads. Privleged to be almost forced into paying 30k a year for a crap health insurance plan. You get the drift. We're sure getting a lot of "privileges" to pay for these days.

Jerry

 

[Burkeam]

Burke,

See that's where I have a little rub, "privileged". I'm privileged enough to buy a fishing license, privileged to buy a permit to put my fish house on the ice, privileged to buy a hunting license, privileged to buy a permit to visit (just ride my motorcycle though, 10 minutes) a state park, privileged to pay a wheel tax for each of my vehicles, privileged to have half of what I pay for a gallon of gas go to the government and not have it used to fix my roads. Privleged to be almost forced into paying 30k a year for a crap health insurance plan. You get the drift. We're sure getting a lot of "privileges" to pay for these days.

Jerry

Same boat on the health care however I classify it more like bend over and pick up the soap. I fear my government, the politics and the money driving it. My experience is the FAA is removed from a lot of that garbage. They are not perfect so I'm sure not everyone had had good experiences like I have. The FAA has not cost me near as much money as the secretary of state. They are not the NSA, TSA nor IRS. I find them the most helpful of any government entity. I used to keep one of my planes at Willow Run (YIP). I met them by walking to their offices to submit my 337 and it cost me 0$. In short the 337 is filed if you ever modded your plane.

I do use the word privilege a lot here. It stems from my driver ed training when I was 15. "Your driver license is a privilege not a right". The issue I have is the highways have been lawyer-ed and dumb down that is more like a right. I do not want to see the UAS nor NAS to follow suit. How about a simple fine print on the drone registration. "Dumb asses need not apply. lol