Why commercial drone pilots don't need FAA License

[World Media]

Can someone please point me to some facts and figures on how many actual people have been hurt or killed in non military UAV accidents.
Its interesting that many people are worried about someone putitng guns on a drone and going on a shooting spree ..... shouldnt you be more worried about preventing the person from having the damned gun in the first place.

That said, for what its worth i agree that some element of regulation is necesary and a basic understanding of safe operation under a certain flight level ( altitude ) is required. Dont make getting permission to operate a drone so expensive that many are kept away from the industry and it is priced out of competetiveness.
To the OP ...
Your point is very valid ..... the fact that a drone is being used to commercially film something does not make it more or less important to regulate.
Those that fly should be regulated on the same basis.

 

[skylabimaging]

Actually the faa is going to require a TSA screening which is very intrusive.
The reason I've heard for this screening is to catch potential terrorist. .
like a terriost is going to get a TSA..
the more I read about needing a pilots license and TSA to obtain a comercial drone license the more I feel it's malarkey. ..
I don't believe you need to be flying a drone over 400 feet in the same airspace as aircraft unless you have a military type drone,then of course you would need a pilots license. .
There's only a few times when you would in counter a airplane under 500 feet which are airports while taking off and landing , fire fighting aircraft, crop dusters .
all of which should be avoided. ..
It seems like a simple problem to work out...
drones stay under 400 feet and aircraft stay over 500 feet..
anything past a written proficiency test and a flight skills test is clearly overkill. .
More importantly a drone pilot should carry some type of personal injury and property damage insurance ..
Aircraft get the airspace over 500 and drones under 400..

Airspace traffic is expanding because of increased uav use. Needs to be regulated. While the current system isn't the most ideal it really only is a concern for commercial use. As I said earlier, it should not be as simple as investing in a drone and going to turn a profit...no actual business is that simple. A pilots license is just another start up cost, ground school...Than there's all the people that spent thousands on their 333 application...it's all start up cost.

I don't understand why everybody pushed their parents left and right to fork out a bunch of money so you could get your drivers license at the ripe ol age of 16 but you struggle with the idea that you need to get a pilots license now that your adults? There are plenty of ways to afford flight school and it really isn't difficult. Edit: One thing I wanted to add, while not all of (most of though) doesn't pertain to uav stuff, I still learned a lot because of it. Since there is no sure fire form of regulating uav education at the moment, the best resource is each other.

Even more funny, I'm a god **** hypocrite. I was appalled at the idea of getting a pilots license, after they reduced it down to a sports license, I decided to sign up and get it done with. Now I'm really happy that I did do it. What really sucks is all the **** you gotta do before a commercial flight.

 

[jmp470]

Why do you need a PPL for a UAV, but you don't for a glider or Ultra-light? As a pilot I'm for ground school and communications, but why do UAV pilots need to step into an airplane?

 

[lake_flyer]

Only the PPL ground school is needed, so that everybody using the airspace is on the same page, not flying a private aircraft.
But it should include a proof of ability (already mandatory in the Netherlands, repeating myself) to fly a collective pitch RC heli (on a simulator), because one should be able to fly safely without help from automated flight control. And LOS (Line of Site) flying, also mandatory for commercial flight, is something people must learn to master. Most people starting with quads are flying FPV, which is very easy and feels very natural. But with LOS a lot of people get orientation problems. Stick controls feel reversed when flying nose in, no such thing with FPV.

Actually LOS (and keeping LOS all the way) is much, much more difficult then FPV. Only because I always had to fly my RC planes and helis LOS (there was no such thing as FPV in the 'old days'), I have developed a natural sense for it over the years. But to be able to fly FPV commercially we will even have to get an IFR rating (go figure), once that's available.

 

[The Shadow]

Actually the faa is going to require a TSA screening which is very intrusive.
The reason I've heard for this screening is to catch potential terrorist. .
like a terriost is going to get a TSA..
the more I read about needing a pilots license and TSA to obtain a comercial drone license the more I feel it's malarkey. ..
I don't believe you need to be flying a drone over 400 feet in the same airspace as aircraft unless you have a military type drone,then of course you would need a pilots license. .
There's only a few times when you would in counter a airplane under 500 feet which are airports while taking off and landing , fire fighting aircraft, crop dusters .
all of which should be avoided. ..
It seems like a simple problem to work out...
drones stay under 400 feet and aircraft stay over 500 feet..
anything past a written proficiency test and a flight skills test is clearly overkill. .
More importantly a drone pilot should carry some type of personal injury and property damage insurance ..
Aircraft get the airspace over 500 and drones under 400..

Totally agree!

 

[The Shadow]

This morning while I was out walking a large helicopter used for lifting passed about 200' over my head. This is the type of old helicopter you see lifting heavy objects onto building (normally air conditioning systems), it appeared to be headed toward downtown Dallas (about 20 miles away)

Downtown Dallas is just south of Love Field,,,so I'm sure to get the helicopter in safely Air Traffic Control sent it in low and out of the way...so yes, aircraft do fly below 500',,,it happens a LOT more often than you think

He was moving very slow, probable because of the altitude, slow enough I waved and he waved back

As far as TSA screening, sure, I would feel better if they made everyone flying a drone go through TSA screening

A copter flying at 200 feet and 20 miles out? Ummmm! Don't think that is exactly smart! Aircraft have rules too!

 

[jmp470]

A copter flying at 200 feet and 20 miles out? Ummmm! Don't think that is exactly smart! Aircraft have rules too!

Your right aircraft do have rules and nowhere does it say an aircraft has to fly at 500 feet or more. You can fly tree top level all day long In the suburbs, but over a city they want you higher than the tallest obstacle. 500 feet doesn't have to be above, can be lateral too.

 

[The Shadow]

Your right aircraft do have rules and nowhere does it say an aircraft has to fly at 500 feet or more. You can fly tree top level all day long In the suburbs, but over a city they want you higher than the tallest obstacle. 500 feet doesn't have to be above, can be lateral too.

Well the first time a pilot hits a UAV flying over a house at 300 feet and crashes into a house killing multiple people and burning houses; It must be the drone pilots fault? LMAO! Flying an aircraft at low level where most of us will be flying is foolish. Come on seriously? Rules need to go both ways, just because you can doesn't mean you should!

 

[___1___]

Well the first time a pilot hits a UAV flying over a house at 300 feet and crashes into a house killing multiple people and burning houses; It must be the drone pilots fault? LMAO! Flying an aircraft at low level where most of us will be flying is foolish. Come on seriously? Rules need to go both ways, just because you can doesn't mean you should!

The difference is airplanes are regulated, we have rules, you are sharing OUR airspace.

 

[The Shadow]

The difference is airplanes are regulated, we have rules, you are sharing OUR airspace.

I have no problem with that. But lets do this right! I don't think the people who are trying to make a business are the ones abusing the airspace. The commercial side is only a fraction of the owners, the FAA should be working on that area. The government has let this get out of hand and each day that goes by puts us all in danger of more restrictions and ridicule due to the few idiots out there not being responsible.

 

[The Shadow]

The difference is airplanes are regulated, we have rules, you are sharing OUR airspace.

How is it that over 500 people die each year in the US due to small plane crashes at a rate of 5 crashes a week? .... and the UAV population gets all the coverage! WOW,
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=FDAC94D9FDA97AC012F8FDAC94D9FDA97AC012F8

 

[___1___]

How is it that over 500 people die each year in the US due to small plane crashes at a rate of 5 crashes a week? .... and the UAV population gets all the coverage! WOW,
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=FDAC94D9FDA97AC012F8FDAC94D9FDA97AC012F8

If you look at crashes vs hours flown, a/c are much safer. And if you want accurate results you must go to the NTSB's site and not use bing. The reason UAV's get the attention is because it is unregulated, and uneducated people complain about regulations and complain like whining babies that I can't do this or I can't do that. In-turn they break recommendations about how to fly. They start message boards to complain about how this sucks and don't listen to more experienced people who try to help. Hours and hours of useless topics repeating the same things over and over. In aviation I have never ever seen the blatant disrespect for authority and safety. That is the difference, truthfully I hope they regulate the *hit of of this b/c those that have this dangerous attitude are a hazard to me when I am flying.

rant over

 

[The Shadow]

If you look at crashes vs hours flown, a/c are much safer. And if you want accurate results you must go to the NTSB's site and not use bing. The reason UAV's get the attention is because it is unregulated, and uneducated people complain about regulations and complain like whining babies that I can't do this or I can't do that. In-turn they break recommendations about how to fly. They start message boards to complain about how this sucks and don't listen to more experienced people who try to help. Hours and hours of useless topics repeating the same things over and over. In aviation I have never ever seen the blatant disrespect for authority and safety. That is the difference, truthfully I hope they regulate the *hit of of this b/c those that have this dangerous attitude are a hazard to me when I am flying.

rant over

Is that small aircraft statistics or commercial statistics?
I have to say every time I fly with folks watching and tell them that in order to make some money photographing their house 30 feet up and get paid a small fee that Uncle Sam says I need a pilots license! THEY laugh their heads off! Typical government B.S.
Sorry still see it as overkill for small UAVs. Being in the Navy for 22 years and controlling fighter jets and Helo's for target intercepts still does not change my position thinking you more experienced (whatever that means) people with a pilots license (that someone said he got in 2 weeks - right) are right!
I am sure the FAA will come out with a more refined program that takes into consideration size, type and purpose. Putting everything in one shoebox is like requiring you to go to NASA and get an Astronaut Certificate to fly your small aircraft! Lets be reasonable here my friend! The early stages of the FAA rules are locked down for control until a viable system is in place. So in the end we hopefully will all be winners. Also, just because people whine doesn't mean they are wrong or fools.

 

[The Shadow]

If you look at crashes vs hours flown, a/c are much safer. And if you want accurate results you must go to the NTSB's site and not use bing. The reason UAV's get the attention is because it is unregulated, and uneducated people complain about regulations and complain like whining babies that I can't do this or I can't do that. In-turn they break recommendations about how to fly. They start message boards to complain about how this sucks and don't listen to more experienced people who try to help. Hours and hours of useless topics repeating the same things over and over. In aviation I have never ever seen the blatant disrespect for authority and safety. That is the difference, truthfully I hope they regulate the *hit of of this b/c those that have this dangerous attitude are a hazard to me when I am flying.

rant over

Aircraft and 500 people dying each year is safer than what? Flying a small UAV without a pilots license? Oh, Boy!

Airspace traffic is expanding because of increased uav use. Needs to be regulated. While the current system isn't the most ideal it really only is a concern for commercial use. As I said earlier, it should not be as simple as investing in a drone and going to turn a profit...no actual business is that simple. A pilots license is just another start up cost, ground school...Than there's all the people that spent thousands on their 333 application...it's all start up cost.

I don't understand why everybody pushed their parents left and right to fork out a bunch of money so you could get your drivers license at the ripe ol age of 16 but you struggle with the idea that you need to get a pilots license now that your adults? There are plenty of ways to afford flight school and it really isn't difficult. Edit: One thing I wanted to add, while not all of (most of though) doesn't pertain to uav stuff, I still learned a lot because of it. Since there is no sure fire form of regulating uav education at the moment, the best resource is each other.

Even more funny, I'm a god **** hypocrite. I was appalled at the idea of getting a pilots license, after they reduced it down to a sports license, I decided to sign up and get it done with. Now I'm really happy that I did do it. What really sucks is all the **** you gotta do before a commercial flight.

Maybe because when I was old enough to ride a bicycle, nobody told me I had to get a drivers license to sell newspapers! Herr Herr!

 

[Sky]

I wasn't intending on putting my own opinion because I wanted to hear other people's input without them feeling the need to support or attack my idea. I wanted their organic response. Here's the video I made. It's basic and crappy for two reasons:

1) I had to make it using Mozilla's popcorn maker, using only already posted videos.
https://popcorn.webmaker.org/
2) Even if I don't turn anything in I'll still get a 4.0 for this class due to my current grade. Meaning, this took about 30 minutes.

Thanks to everyone's videos I used! Especially @airdrone!

https://inversesky.makes.org/popcorn/36c8_​

 

[Marnix Verschraegen]

In Belgium you will need a pilots license to fly commercially your drone.
the fly school for drones costs around 3000 Euro's
And even if you passes the license and the medical exam you can only fly max. 90m high. Unlicensed drone flyers (hobbyists) will only be allowed until 30m and on a field designated for RC flying. With 30m i cannot go over some of the trees were i fly. Also they also informs us that privacy is an important issue. Well flying on 30m or 90m is certainly going to give problems. All other countries around Belgium allows flying until 120m
If i fly with an RC plane i may fly higher then when i fly with a drone. strange ...

Marnix

 

[skylabimaging]

^^^ Ya see guys, our (the US) situation could be much worse...

 

[___1___]

I think it is fantastic what Belgium is doing!

 

[lake_flyer]

I think it is fantastic what Belgium is doing!

It seems like Belgium is the place to work then.

 

[The Shadow]

Maybe Belgium should worry about other important things!