Challenging Bad Drone Pilots In the UK

[MedicFL1]

Gentlemen;

I think its erroneous to assume all the rules are good, right and work for the best interest of all involved. The FAA rules are like a pig **** (excuse my French). They were written by pilots, NOT drone pilots, which as different as night and day. So I find the enforcement of these ridiculous rules - and the self-proclaimed FAA police - a little ridiculous.

Consider this:

1) Drone rules were written by people who have never flown a drone. So ridiculous paradigms - like FPV flying is dangerous - make it into the rule books. FPV is a PROFOUND instrument of safety. And I would challenge anyone to do some field tests and try to recover a malfunctioning drone with and without FPV. I'll take the FPV safety net ANY day. I NEVER fly without having my goggles on my head. I may not use them, but if **** goes wrong, the first thing I'm doing is putting them on and getting a PILOT'S PERSPECTIVE of my bird. Ask any pilot if they'd rather fly their 747 remotely, or from the cockpit.

2) There's no practical test. None. So you could literally be a housewife who has never flown a drone in your life, and be FULLY CERTIFIED by the FAA. Ridiculous.

So...until the FAA (and UK equivalents) get their proverbial **** together, I think it would behoove us to use our common sense, follow AMA rules, be courteous, and PRACTICE FLYING. YOUR SKILL is the ONLY thing between you and an accident. At this point of the game, we ALL OWN OUR OWN SAFETY. NOTHING the FAA has done or said is making drone flying any safer than it was 10 years ago. Paperwork, certificates and procedure to NOT a safe drone pilot make.

That's my 2 cents. Agree or disagree if you wish. I'll let my 30+ years of RC flying speak for itself.

D

Edited by moderator for language

Donnie,
I get your point. I do , but at least the FAA is trying to convey responsibility while tossing in airspace and weather.
I believe there's much more to come in that department.
I have to laugh because thirty years ago we were building three stage Estes Rockets with nothing for safety. Oh,some had parachutes but many burned up.
That sport is still not regulated!
As an aside, I was at the local park with my granddaughter when an idiot tried to fly his phantom 4 but his phone kept falling off.
Yes, I stepped in and showed him what those clips you unfold are for, then showed him how to uncross his antenna ... after that I took my child and left.
I did tell him to go watch a few videos on the subject but didn't want to be too abrasive about his total ignorance of an autonomous machine.

Keep up the videos ~ Jim / Above and Beyond

 

[Dejan Smaic]

Donnie,
I get your point. I do , but at least the FAA is trying to convey responsibility while tossing in airspace and weather.
I believe there's much more to come in that department.
I have to laugh because thirty years ago we were building three stage Estes Rockets with nothing for safety. Oh,some had parachutes but many burned up.
That sport is still not regulated!
As an aside, I was at the local park with my granddaughter when an idiot tried to fly his phantom 4 but his phone kept falling off.
Yes, I stepped in and showed him what those clips you unfold are for, then showed him how to uncross his antenna ... after that I took my child and left.
I did tell him to go watch a few videos on the subject but didn't want to be too abrasive about his total ignorance of an autonomous machine.

Keep up the videos ~ Jim / Above and Beyond

How do you equate safety when there is a disparity in regs differentiating amature vs commercial flights (i.e. notifying ATC vs 90 written request to fly within 5 miles from an airport)? Strike 1 against FAA.

 

[Skydog]

It is rather frustrating that a novice or recreational flyer can do a lot of things that an experienced and licensed commercial drone pilot needs extensive permissions with long wait periods to do.
It seems that the experienced and licensed droners are penalized for closely complying with the rules. Unfortunately it's mostly about money. Yes, drones can be dangerous and need to be regulated to a certain extent but mostly the FAA's approach seems *** backwards. The amateurs without license or training should be the most restricted. Not so. At least in America.
Case in point, I recently wanted to shoot in an airspace fairly close to a regional airport. After going to the FAA for permission, (It's been over 100 days and no response) I asked a local droner what his experience was for that area - he said he called the tower directly and the first question they asked was: "Is this commercial or recreational?". His response of "recreational" (which it was) got him a green light to fly - they just asked him to keep it under 100 ft AGL and to let them know when he was finished. ?????!!!!!
A buddy of his asked the same tower for permission for a commercial flight and was told that he had to go through the FAA for permission and "good luck".
Something is definitely wrong with this picture.
BTW - I have flown this area before in a helicopter shooting 35mm film with a Tyler mount and the tower bent over backwards to help us get our shots. They even asked an incoming flight to maintain a holding pattern for a short period. I guess we droners are the red-headed step children of aviation.

 

[licensed pilot]

"I guess we droners are the red-headed step children of aviation"
Correction "we legal, properly licensed droners are the red-headed step children of aviation" Hobbyists are celebrated by the feds...

 

[DaRana]

It is rather frustrating that a novice or recreational flyer can do a lot of things that an experienced and licensed commercial drone pilot needs extensive permissions with long wait periods to do.
It seems that the experienced and licensed droners are penalized for closely complying with the rules. Unfortunately it's mostly about money. Yes, drones can be dangerous and need to be regulated to a certain extent but mostly the FAA's approach seems *** backwards. The amateurs without license or training should be the most restricted. Not so. At least in America.
Case in point, I recently wanted to shoot in an airspace fairly close to a regional airport. After going to the FAA for permission, (It's been over 100 days and no response) I asked a local droner what his experience was for that area - he said he called the tower directly and the first question they asked was: "Is this commercial or recreational?". His response of "recreational" (which it was) got him a green light to fly - they just asked him to keep it under 100 ft AGL and to let them know when he was finished. ?????!!!!!
A buddy of his asked the same tower for permission for a commercial flight and was told that he had to go through the FAA for permission and "good luck".
Something is definitely wrong with this picture.
BTW - I have flown this area before in a helicopter shooting 35mm film with a Tyler mount and the tower bent over backwards to help us get our shots. They even asked an incoming flight to maintain a holding pattern for a short period. I guess we droners are the red-headed step children of aviation.

Remember that the FAA is legally prohibited from regulating non-commercial "model" aircraft. It isn't that the FAA only wants to regulate commercial use and wants to let the hobby use be free from any restriction, its that they can't. And any doubts about this were clearly answered with the recent court case. It will change, but it must be changed by the language congress uses in the next FAA funding bill.

In the case of the helicopter flight vs the drone flight near the airport, the tower's hands are tied w/r/t the drone flight (assuming this is Class a-e to sfc?).

 

[Skydog]

Remember that the FAA is legally prohibited from regulating non-commercial "model" aircraft. It isn't that the FAA only wants to regulate commercial use and wants to let the hobby use be free from any restriction, its that they can't. And any doubts about this were clearly answered with the recent court case. It will change, but it must be changed by the language congress uses in the next FAA funding bill.

In the case of the helicopter flight vs the drone flight near the airport, the tower's hands are tied w/r/t the drone flight (assuming this is Class a-e to sfc?).

Yes. all good and valid points DaRana. It still is frustrating though.

 

[The Editor]

OK - can we please keep this thread on topic please?

The OP specifically asked about challenging bad drone pilots IN THE UK.

The laws are different in the UK as they are just that - laws, unlike the US which seems to be in a situation of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

The UK is fortunate enough to have an act of parliament passed which enshrines the Air Navigation Order in law and there are specif sections dedicated to UAV's. This means that a challenge to any illegal flying is on much more solid ground than the FAA 'guidelines' which everyone seems to take great pleasure in pointing out.

Please feel free to start a 'Challenging bad pilots in the US' thread should you feel so inclined.

Thank You

 

[DaRana]

OK - can we please keep this thread on topic please?

The OP specifically asked about challenging bad drone pilots IN THE UK.

The laws are different in the UK as they are just that - laws, unlike the US which seems to be in a situation of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

The UK is fortunate enough to have an act of parliament passed which enshrines the Air Navigation Order in law and there are specif sections dedicated to UAV's. This means that a challenge to any illegal flying is on much more solid ground than the FAA 'guidelines' which everyone seems to take great pleasure in pointing out.

Please feel free to start a 'Challenging bad pilots in the US' thread should you feel so inclined.

Thank You

Apologies. Reading on my phone "in the U.K." Wrapped in the subject and I totally somehow missed it in the first post.

I appreciate what people have shared about the U.K. Laws in this thread - I didn't know how much more well-crafted the rules around flight and commercial licensure were across the pond.

Cheers!

 

[CraigInspire2]

Well that was an interesting read