Following your logic, a guy with impressive knife skills he picked up on the streets could call himself a surgeon, despite never having studied —
No sir. That is a false equivalency. A better analogy would be a guy who picked up a knife and has been operating successfully on his local constituents without a single death without a college education or degree. THAT is an accurate analogy.
Ironically, your analogy describes UAS OWNERSHIP and the 107 quite accurately. Your assertion is that just because a guy BUYS a drone (picks up a knife), and takes a test, that he somehow becomes a good, safe pilot via osmosis. It's like the knife owner studied the test material and passed the test without ever operating on a single person. THAT is a very accurate analogy.
and proven his understanding of — anatomy. Credentials mean something, they are not just pieces of paper (the only people who claim they don’t are the folks who don’t have them).
Sure...I'll concede that some credentials in some situations are good and in some cases necessary. My position is that the 107 is NOT one of those credentials. It lacks testing for practical skills, harps on subjects no drone pilot will ever need or use (like airport road markings of where to taxi, where to drive, etc., when we're not supposed to be anywhere near an airport), and completely ignores important subjects, like the steps one should take to insure UAS equipment is well-tested and in good working order.
I'd bet you a paycheck I could turn out a safer pilot in one day of teaching than anyone you know who passed the 107 with a 100% grade.
Here’s what it boils down to...
1. nothing conclusive can be said as regards the “professionalism” of folks who do have their 107 ticket.
But....
2. something completely conclusive can be said as regards the “professionalism” of folks who do not have their 107 ticket but engage in commercial activities regardless; they are unprofessional right out of the gate. When revealed they should be prosecuted. (I won’t dox you, but I could).
You are completely wrong. Why on Earth you would assume that credentials make the person is beyond me. You can use almost any trade as an example. Plumbing....electrical...mechanical. Do you trust the mechanic who has been working on cars successfully for 30 years? Or the new kid with a bevy of ASE certifications who's worked on 10 cars in his life? Your assertion that "more credentials = more professionalism" is completely erroneous. And I could come up with a dozen examples to completely refute and debunk that assertion. Completely.
I could even cite your own profession....aviation. How many hot-shot pilots came up through the ranks who started off crop dusting when they were 13?? Yes, they eventually got the license so they could have the government "holier than thou" stamp so they could work as a commercial pilot. But they flew for years without it.
Drone pilots MUST be understood (by all) to be real pilots!
Agreed. Drone pilot skills are very important. But the 107 doesn't produce real pilots. It produces weekend warriors who NOW are allowed to work professionally despite picking up their P4P at the local Best Buy just days earlier. How dangerous is that?!?!?!
How you can not see the flaw in a such a system is beyond me.
In order for that to actually take hold inside and outside the industry, drone pilots must commit to doing their part (and more) in acting legally and professionally.
Sure. Agreed. I do that every time I fly. If you think I just pick up my drone and drive out to jobs willy-nilly, you are sorely mistaken. I study the sectional chart to find out what airspace I'm in. I study the weather (especially the wind) via windy.com. If I'm in Class D space, I get the number of the manager, call him, and inform him of UAS operations before, during and after operations are done. If we work in Class D doing film, we have a NAV/COM radio and a dedicated radio operator to keep an ear and eye out for all aviation traffic.
Believe me, my friend, I don't just pack up my drone and fly all around Class C airspace without so much as a thought. You have a completely wrong picture of the kind of pilot I am. I not only possess all the knowledge one might gain by taking the 107, but I have a bevy of knowledge that goes far beyond the 107 that most pilots don't even know exist.
You asked me earlier about GPS. Well how much do you know about IMU's, electronic compasses, ESC's, their current limits, UAS flight controllers, accelerometers, gyrosensors, etc. How much do you know about LiPo batteries and their proper care? How do you store them? What steps do you take to ensure their longevity and reliable performance? What signs do you look for to know a LiPo may be ready to fail? What kind of battery logs do you keep?
You're an experienced pilot and RC pilot, so maybe you know a lot. But how much does your typical 107 pilot know about these very vital systems that they use every time they fly? Do you concede that it's very important to understand these systems? Do you also concede that the 107 doesn't even touch on these systems? Yet the 107 tests you on METARs, stall, cloud types and, for the love of all that is holy, airport signage. If my drone is ever close enough to an airport to read the road signs, "signage" is the LEAST of my problems. Absurd.
Your fierce defense of your incomplete education
Certification is not education. Certification means you can pass a test. Education isn't just studying or classroom experience. REAL education requires real-world experience. And if you can't see that, then I can't help you.
(evidenced by the apparent lack of credentials other than self-proclaimed), is doing the industry no favors..."
My clients would highly disagree. I do awesome work with a 100% safety record.
in its complete lack of any semblance of professionalism.
Your opinion.
I’m done; this thread has turned to the absurd.
Ahhh...we agree on something. Now take your football and go home.
Your problem is you lack the ability to concede on anything. That just makes you stubborn. I have conceded to many of your points. If you lack the ability to concede, be educated or learn something, then that makes all your comments completely self serving. I'm here to learn. So far, you haven't shared anything I haven't heard a thousand times from other FAA trolls. And if all you got out of this was "people without a 107 are dangerous," the you are blind, deaf and dumb.
The 107 is the icing on the cake. It's not the cake.
Good day, sir.
