No hiding behind AC 91-57 anymore

The FAA just cancelled AC 91-57 the one that many folks used to justify commercial aerial photography from unmanned aircraft in the USA.

Now look to the “full special” interpretation for Model Aircraft for your guidance.

Patrick said this at the time about that.

Folks in the U.S. UAS community (which now including paper airplane aficionados too) were surprised and dismayed by the FAA’s “full special” interpretation for Model Aircraft. The community is completely flabbergasted by the lack of response from the regular gaggle of advocacy groups. UAS freedom(s) just took a major hit in the U.S. and folks are asking where the hell is the leadership? We are usually treated to quick responses (canned goods) heralding any announcement from the FAA (no matter how trivial or nonsensical they may be), as enlightened and a giant step in the right direction. We can guess who got the special dispensation/backroom deal neutering.

Shocked and awed –

The community is collectively wondering what’s up with the subdued response? Where is the mobilization of the membership(s)? Adding to the dismay is the notion that this edict could have possibly caught advocacy groups off guard? It has many feeling like we just suffered a regulatory tsunami without warning and no disaster plan!

* To everyone’s integration credit… The FAA did state repeatedly that the hobby would look the same after regulation was announced. However, in this instance it would appear that reality and the FAA have parted company again.

If you want to join the Hollywood set these are the requirements for your platforms

We commissioned our art department at sUAS News to create this simple graphic to explain the system over there ;-)

I have a private pilot's license which I got back in 1991. I was extraordinarily luck to have a coworker for an instructor @$15/hr who was part owner of a Cessna 150 @$25/hr. You could have a thousand hours of stick time and still do something stupid. That said, having logged time on the airframe is probably a good idea if you're going to engage in commercial work. But therein lies the Catch-22. How do you log the time and make it official? Are aspiring pilots going to have to hire a certified instructor? That's certainly going to cost money. Who is going to certify them? The FAA? Clearly, they don't understand the nature of the activity beyond the fear factor. They are a bureaucracy and bureaucracies exist to maintain themselves.In the past few years, federal agencies have flexed their muscles much more than ever before. The National Forest Service has decided to close down significant percentages of the roads. But they don't physically close them off. They just declare them closed. You're supposed to know which roads are closed and if they catch you on one, they can ticket you. The BLM was ultimately in charge of the land where the Yarnell Hill fire took place last summer. They sat on their bureaucratic ass for 48 hours before allowing hotshot crews into the area. By that time the fire was out of control and the result was the death of 19 guys. That same agency regularly harasses people for picking up rocks. I have dealt with ITAR regulations. That costs $2500 a year just for the privilege of asking for permission to export something that anybody could buy off the shelf domestically. And when you talk to them, you'll get a different answer depending on who you talk to. Plus, they don't even remember talking to you.
Bottom line is that regulation is going to cost people money. A lot of money. I wonder how the Tripoli guys deal with regulation if any.

You need to be a member of diydrones to add comments!

Join diydrones

Comments

Nikola Rabchevsky October 11, 2014 at 12:48pm

I have a private pilot's license which I got back in 1991. I was extraordinarily luck to have a coworker for an instructor @$15/hr who was part owner of a Cessna 150 @$25/hr. You could have a thousand hours of stick time and still do something stupid. That said, having logged time on the airframe is probably a good idea if you're going to engage in commercial work. But therein lies the Catch-22. How do you log the time and make it official? Are aspiring pilots going to have to hire a certified instructor? That's certainly going to cost money. Who is going to certify them? The FAA? Clearly, they don't understand the nature of the activity beyond the fear factor. They are a bureaucracy and bureaucracies exist to maintain themselves.In the past few years, federal agencies have flexed their muscles much more than ever before. The National Forest Service has decided to close down significant percentages of the roads. But they don't physically close them off. They just declare them closed. You're supposed to know which roads are closed and if they catch you on one, they can ticket you. The BLM was ultimately in charge of the land where the Yarnell Hill fire took place last summer. They sat on their bureaucratic ass for 48 hours before allowing hotshot crews into the area. By that time the fire was out of control and the result was the death of 19 guys. That same agency regularly harasses people for picking up rocks. I have dealt with ITAR regulations. That costs $2500 a year just for the privilege of asking for permission to export something that anybody could buy off the shelf domestically. And when you talk to them, you'll get a different answer depending on who you talk to. Plus, they don't even remember talking to you.
Bottom line is that regulation is going to cost people money. A lot of money. I wonder how the Tripoli guys deal with regulation if any.
Pedals2Paddles October 11, 2014 at 6:13am

What Chim said! Buy that man a beer.
Moderator

Gary Mortimer October 11, 2014 at 4:19am

Or this https://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP722.pdf
Greg Nuspel October 11, 2014 at 4:08am

Maybe someone should show the FAA this http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/publications/page-6557.html
Mathew krawczun October 10, 2014 at 9:53pm

@Grey McCray
you do realize these rules are about getting UAVs up in the air now while it would take years if not decades to get a working UAV pilot certification program up and running? if you want to get to UAV's off the ground anytime soon this is honestly the best short term option there is.

as for tail/N numbers you don't need a break you need a reality check UAV's need a easily visible identification system more then just about any other aircraft. as you said yourself "your not in them" it's easy to brake the law or crash and cause damage and simply walk away without taking responsibility. you don't want them to use the already existing and working system, that everything that flies uses, no you want them to come up with a whole new system just for drones.

@Pedals2Paddles
no the problem isn't the FAA it arm chair quarterbacks like you don't know or honestly care complexity of this you just want to do anything you please without thinking about how it effects anyone else.
Gary McCray October 10, 2014 at 8:26pm

@ Mathew,

Nonesense, getting a pilots license in the US costs well over $20,000.00 for flight time alone, flight time that is largely not relevant to flying a UAV and which could be much better handled where necessary in a simulator or by flying a UAV at much less expense.

This is simply a move by the FAA for keeping them from having to implement an actually appropriate UAV pilot certification program.

It is complete nonesense.

And as far as the N number is concerned, give me a break, they are applying requirements for implementation of a non-existent certification procedure once again based on current airplanes, but for which no one anywhere on the planet is qualified to do.

Some kind of certification is undoubtedly needed, but we need an organization actually dedicated to figuring out what a reasonable approach is, not one dedicated to making it impossible and simply trying to pass the buck.

By the way, I do have a private pilots license for VFR but there is no way I think that that should be a requirement for flying UAVs, UAVs are their own thing and the one thing that is definitely true is that you are not in them.

Best Regards,

Gary
Pedals2Paddles October 10, 2014 at 8:24pm

Matthew, sorry, everything you said is incorrect and makes no sense. Neither does anything the FAA does.
Mathew krawczun October 10, 2014 at 8:14pm

the joke here is these aren't really a "completely unnecessary set of hurdles for the prospective UAV pilot." they all make sense.

in lue of a uav license and all infrastructure needed to make that work have UAV pilots getting pilot license makes sense. after all you learn more then just how the plane works you learn the rules of the sky and get some respect for those that fly. this will

even the n Numbers make sense because there needs to be away to identify the owner of a UAV without hoping you see them controlling it. it's freaking a license plate and no one complains about them but it's some how evil to put on you UAV?
Pedals2Paddles October 10, 2014 at 5:39pm

I just stopped reading when I got to the part about registering it with an N-Number.
Gary McCray October 10, 2014 at 5:31pm

Hi Pedals,

Here's Gary's SUAS News article on it:

http://www.suasnews.com/2014/10/31628/faa-requirements-for-hollywoo...

Item 10 being the particular requirement I was referring to above, but by far not the only excessive and inappropriate requirement.

Best,

Gary

of 4

This reply was deleted.