Death to us all: DRONE FEDERALISM ACT

SkipTV · Jun 1, 2017

This bill by Diane Feinstein Senator of California. Takes any authority the FAA has over Drones and puts it in the hands of local towns/cities/states. This means that your local politician who is not much better than some condominium board rep, someone without a clue about drones will be setting drone policy, rules and regulations, So for all you FAA haters, you get what you vote for now, local government control. Her bill will pretty much destroy the drone industry period. You can't fly anywhere period. Local governments can limit speed, time of day, locations, and ANY flights above private property can be banned.
So I am not sure where DJI is, or Yuneek or any of the multi-million dollar drone companies are at with stopping this, but they best get there '****' together and do some serious lobbying and one of them needs to get to Senator Feinstein and tell her if she needs too do something as a Senator freaking fight for protecting the climate instead of destroying a new emerging industry that all of us here love and some of us here earn a living from.

here is article from Drone Life
Feinstein’s “Drone Federalism Act” Would Give States Sweeping Powers Over Drones

You can contact the Senator here! I really suggest it.
E-Mail Me - United States Senator for California

RevCaptSirDr · Jun 1, 2017

Feinstein is about as nutty as they come. Just ask law abiding gun owners how reasonable she is.

philztoy · Jun 1, 2017

Wow! Guns now drones. Just can't get my mind around why people vote for that representation.

Advexure · Jun 1, 2017

Thanks for sharing this. We had not seen this yet. Very interesting. I'm sure the DJI Policy & Legal Affairs team lead by Mr. Schulman will be jumping all over this. Feinstein and drones not be in the same sentence, she is clueless.

Your link to DroneLife was not clickable so here it is: Feinstein’s “Drone Federalism Act” Would Give States Sweeping Powers Over Drones

And more...
Drone Federalism Act of 2017 - Wikipedia
New Senate Drone Bill Would Give Power to States and Local Governments

samtheparrot · Jun 1, 2017

Feinstein is certifiably insane, but as a commercial operator myself, this wouldn't surprise me as the FAA has made it well known they have no money to continue implementing drone regulations..I have not read the referenced rule, but I've always understood local municipalities can currently impose ordinances regarding drone flights, so on face value it seems local municipalities can already do what's being proposed? Anyways good question about DJI...perhaps if Frank Wang was told no new DJI designs will be allowed in USA until the threat of crushing regulations is squandered, he would pull some strings[emoji3]! After all the Inspire 3 is most likely already being test flown and available for pre-order shortly!

RevCaptSirDr · Jun 1, 2017

Like them or not, the parallels between drone laws and now NFA/86 restricted firearms is uncanny. We are in the golden age of drones in the US my friends. Just wait until you can't purchase a drone unless made/registered prior to 20** or unless you have the correct/current licensing.

licensed pilot · Jun 2, 2017

As Gen. McAuliffe responded to the Germans at Bastogne...NUTS!

Eskin_Drones · Jun 3, 2017

The Drone Federalism Act of 2017[1] is a bill introduced in the 115th Congress by U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on May 25, 2017. The bill would "affirm state regulatory authority regarding the operation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones."[2]

Why is everyone talking as if Feinstein is acting alone in this initiative?

Casey53 · Jun 3, 2017

Eskin_Drones said:
The Drone Federalism Act of 2017[1] is a bill introduced in the 115th Congress by U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on May 25, 2017. The bill would "affirm state regulatory authority regarding the operation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones."[2]

Why is everyone talking as if Feinstein is acting alone in this initiative?

Seems like she isn't, but she is the loudest and probably oldest and most senior mouthpiece in the group, and the group is bipartisan too (2 D's & 2 R's) so this is likely to pass. I can see them thinking "That was easy" and then the localities will make flying drones even more restrictive under their planned 200 foot privacy/trespassing ceiling allowed to the locales.

Even if it gets to the point you need a 107 license to fly in city limits, any airborne drone will be flagged and called in on for the police to check on. That will lead to the need for a permit and monitor (off duty cop) like in Hollywood so police are notified ahead of time that some shoot is going on and not bother.

licensed pilot · Jun 3, 2017

"so this is likely to pass." I doubt it. Commercial UAVs are big business and with the GOP in control (loosely

) and a pro-business attitude in Congress and the White House it is not likely this Bill will ever see the light of day.

Xanth · Jun 3, 2017

Where does OP live? Even in certifiable CA and Seattle, the local government is more responsive to the people than the Feds. And I don't think any locality where I've flown would give a fig about a 107 certification that had nothing to do with UAV competency. Just like a state driver's license, they'd care about basic flying skills and liability insurance.

This country was founded on the principles of federalism. 100 years ago the federal government had a smaller budget than CA. To assume an all-powerful state is the best way to address the needs of a diverse and dispersed populace is just wrong. My guess is most NYCers would rather have de Blasio making their rules than Trump. Just like most Utahns would take Mike Lee's judgement over Obama's.

Casey53 · Jun 3, 2017

licensed pilot said:
"so this is likely to pass." I doubt it. Commercial UAVs are big business and with the GOP in control (loosely) and a pro-business attitude in Congress and the White House it is not likely this Bill will ever see the light of day.

Given all the bad drone press and general public opinion over drones, I don't see it not passing. Oklahoma is also trying to enact the 200 foot minimum limitation too in November (Republican sponsored HB 1326, HB 1326 - Oklahoma 2017-2018 Regular Session - Open States ). It passed 28-17 and now awaiting the governors signature:
Drone Bill Awaits Governor's Signature - Oklahoma Energy Today

The commercial drone business model isn't big enough to overcome the amateurs who are damaging the public perception of drones with privacy and trespassing on that table. With all the cities banning drones from areas, the local supervisors aren't that amicable to our opinion verses the public opinion. I think Illinois had some drone ordinance vote and it was 49-1 against the drone. I even wrote to my local supervisor about our local anti-drone ordinances and he could care less about drones, "His constituents don't like them." They seem to feed off of "What the other city is doing to combat them."

Commercial drone market may end up with so many demands, permits, insurance, waivers, and restrictions to make it uneconomically feasible, or too slow in the paperwork to even start a flight plan, to even try it. A costly Hollywood daily permit model perhaps.

Xanth · Jun 3, 2017

Casey53 said:
Given all the bad drone press and general public opinion over drones, I don't see it not passing. Oklahoma is also trying to enact the 200 foot minimum limitation too in November (Republican sponsored HB 1326, HB 1326 - Oklahoma 2017-2018 Regular Session - Open States ). It passed 28-17 and now awaiting the governors signature:
Drone Bill Awaits Governor's Signature - Oklahoma Energy Today

The commercial drone business model isn't big enough to overcome the amateurs who are damaging the public perception of drones with privacy and trespassing on that table. With all the cities banning drones from areas, the local supervisors aren't that amicable to our opinion verses the public opinion. I think Illinois had some drone ordinance vote and it was 49-1 against the drone. I even wrote to my local supervisor about our local anti-drone ordinances and he could care less about drones, "His constituents don't like them." They seem to feed off of "What the other city is doing to combat them."

Commercial drone market may end up with so many demands, permits, insurance, waivers, and restrictions to make it uneconomically feasible, or too slow in the paperwork to even start a flight plan, to even try it. A costly Hollywood daily permit model perhaps.

These are all very good points, and bespeak the need for drone fliers to unite. RC aircraft may have been outlawed long ago if it weren't for the AMA. Without a similar unified voice, drones will be downed with the same thinking as mosquito abatement.

A drone advocacy group could also publicize community benefits like search and rescue, etc. For that matter, such a group could organize and coordinate the activities of a Civil Air Patrol for drones with the mission to respond quickly to a broad variety of community emergencies.

Without advocacy, to non flyers, drones are just an annoying buzzing noise.

licensed pilot · Jun 3, 2017

Agreed. You raised two separate issues. The CAP is a quasi government operation, the official auxiliary of the US Air Force (they taught me how to fly) and carries much weight in aviation search and rescue in the national arena. Many public safety agencies have or are considering UAVs and locals are not keen on relinquishing jurisdictions unless the problem happens to cross jurisdictional boundaries.I don't see a national UAV "civil air patrol" any time soon.

If we are going to have one unified voice in the legislative field of battle then we need for everyone of the five-for-a-dime "drone associations" to agree to combine into one huge organization, putting egos aside...can you see that happening any time soon, when money is the primary motive behind these "associations"?

x5yo · Jun 13, 2017

I'll obey the most common sense laws RE altitude, over people etc, but if they start getting retarded with this stuff they can go fk themselves and come get me.