Skip to main content

FAA Drone Regulation, Is It Time For Mass Civil Disobedience?


Let me begin by saying my views on this subject are my own and doing what I suggest could result in prosecution. The risk however is very low…
Being an avid photographer for most of my life, the amazing drone technology has become an exciting addiction.  Ive been flying them for over four years now getting images I could only dream about before.  Placing great musical soundtracks on my videos has been pure joy.  

I fly really safe having never once damaged property or caused injury. I follow sound advice like staying away from other aircraft, flying well below 400 feet (flying higher does not aid in capturing great images).  I fly sober and watchful and accordingly I have never needed crash repairs.

I won’t ever ask permission to flyover or photograph private property.  That’s constitutionally protected activity that fixed wing and helicopters have enjoyed for years and there is plenty of settled appellate law that guides me.  

As for the FAA.  FAA rules, until drones became to be, were always written in the blood of actual air catastrophes. Prior restraint regulation was not part of the FAA’s culture until modern hobby drones appeared in our skies. 

Conventional pilots understood only too well that drones were going to invade their professional turf and threaten their livelihoods. Pilots and FAA officials entered into a public relations conspiracy to demonize drones, their operators and to frighten the public that their safety, privacy and wellbeing were at serious risk. 

Pilots were calling in phony drone sightings and near collisions constantly creating what I called, Drone Hysteria. The phony reports are few and far between now that the novelty has worn off. 

The Obama Administration’s FAA’s mouth was watering with the idea of punitive drone regulation followed by thousands of new enforcement jobs and promotions.  

Fortunately drones increased by a few million and still there were no collisions with conventional aircraft, serious injuries or property damage.  Any excuse to grow the FAA because of drones was and is a total failure.   

The FAA has since created a horrendous, two tiered system for drone operators with separate rules.  The somewhat relaxed hobbyist rules and the substantially burdensome, stricter and more unreasonable commercial user’s regulations.  

The Part 107 Commercial rules are petty, unfair and do nothing to make our airspace safer.  The simply make unnecessary work for everyone akin to digging holes only to fill them back up.

The petty, Part 107 rules are virtually unenforceable because the FAA lacks meaningful manpower to police them. 

Drone operators love answering questions to FAA officials and that ignorant behavior allows the FAA inspectors to easily build cases against them. If the drone operators simply were smart enough to ask for a lawyer instead of blabbing and making admissions there would be virtually no cases to prosecute.

It’s much easier to talk your way into a courtroom.  Keeping your mouth shut tight will do wonders to keep you out of trouble, away from lawyers, their fees and court fines.    

I say when in doubt, fly if you really need the images. Lets say your two miles from a major airport and you want to inspect a roof or capture real estate marketing material at less than 70 feet above the structures go ahead.  

If your in such an area considered sensitive, fly your drone early in the morning before the FAA, local police and public have had their coffee. Use your vehicles to shield drone take offs and landings. Above all fly low and safe. 

Above all tell your Congress people to get the FAA off of our backs and have them return to real safety issues with conventional aircraft. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Paul once again I appreciate your point of view.This is TMFZ and I feel like its time for us to meet up and catch up.
I need your expert opinion on several topics and updates to older content we made that I never published. Hope you are doing fantastic. I'll be in touch. Need to replace my lost phone and will be calling. Take care.
pigpen51 said…
I just had to comment, to say, I agree with you completely. the government already has enough power, they don't need to be messing with citizens anymore. Fly away, and fly free.

Popular posts from this blog

Chicago Cops Slammed with Sudden Ban on the Sig/Sauer P320—And the Officers Will Pay thePrice

In a move that’s rocking the rank and file, the Chicago Police Department has abruptly banned the use of the once-trusted Sig/Sauer P320 pistol as an authorized duty weapon. The order came down swiftly, leaving thousands of officers scrambling. The official reason? Alarming reports that the weapon can fire without the trigger being pulled. For years now the gun-maker has brushed off horror stories about negligent discharges, usually blaming human error. After all, it’s easier to blame the gun than admit to a deadly mistake. Just think back to Alec Baldwin’s tragic shooting on a New Mexico movie set—he insisted he never pulled the trigger, yet a woman lost her life. But experts were quick to point out that the revolver in question simply doesn’t fire on its own. This, however, isn’t Hollywood. The Sig Sauer P320 has a documented pattern of discharges—many occurring while holstered. Lawsuits are piling up, and the manufacturer continues to deny fault, but the incidents are too numerou...

A 40 Caliber Nightmare Is Caught On Tape.

So you’re confident that that .40 caliber S&W service round will keep you safe. Maybe you’ll have second thoughts after you see this video. One hot summer night in 1994 Tempe and Mesa Arizona police were involved in a pursuit with this suspect who ran into a stranger’s apartment to hide after being shot TWICE in the chest. He was shirtless and you can see the blood pumping out of those two wounds. What’s really frightening is just how agile this fellow is as he struts to the ambulance. If he was not handcuffed and had a knife or a gun, ask yourself if he could still hurt you, your partner or a hostage? If your jurisdiction demands that officers carry either the 9MM or the .40 Caliber S&W it’s time to show this video to your bosses and lobby to have the .45 ACP round authorized. The switch may well reduce the screaming by self-appointed community activists about how many rounds police had to use on a suspect. The really talented and courageous video journalist, Karen Ke...

America Will See Its Worst Race Riot Yet This Summer

Star Prosecution Witness, Rachel Jeantel Sanford, FL —Yes, the George Zimmerman trial here has thousands of African-Americans getting ready for some serious bloodletting. I don’t want to make idle and dire predictions but this nation has never been so divided and racially sensitive.  Our African-American President took sides on this case at the very beginning.  That ratified a George Zimmerman guilty verdict in the minds of millions. There’s just one little problem, and that is the murder case should have never been filed.  It was filed purely for political reasons despite the fact that it was a simple justifiable homicide.  Zimmerman was on the block watch lookout program and followed a suspicious Trayvon Martin after he used an improper entrance to a gated community.  Zimmerman was acting as the eyes and ears of the Sanford Police Department. Martin did not like being followed and knew that he could easily beat up the out-of-shape...