Posted on 09/27/2014 5:19:22 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Drone Exemptions for Hollywood Pave the Way for Widespread Use
By BROOKS BARNESSEPT. 25, 2014
LOS ANGELES — The commercial use of drones in American skies took a leap forward on Thursday with the help of Hollywood.
The Federal Aviation Administration, responding to applications from seven filmmaking companies and pressure from the Motion Picture Association of America, said six of those companies could use camera-equipped drones on certain movie and television sets. Until now, the F.A.A. has not permitted commercial drone use except for extremely limited circumstances in wilderness areas of Alaska.
Put bluntly, this is the first time that companies in the United States will be able to legally use drones to fly over people.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The FAA lost because of the wording of the rules. AT that time I figured the FAA would retreat and come out with their guns blazing and put an end to it once and for all.
Their new rules are to come out in early 2015 so we will see.
I agree but damn, it is fun watching stuff being blowed up real good, don’t you think Vern? LOL
Only if they change the laws of physics. Its pretty basic that a quad copter cannot support the use of standard firearms ammunition.
Whether Hollywood likes it or not, Sir Isaac must be paid.
Their latest reinterpretation of the existing rules caused a major controversy...I don’t expect them to do any better next time around.
They have already been directed to develop procedure for mixed use and are dragging their feet.
Its coming, they need to get out in front of it, not be dragged along kicking and screaming
Actually much of that is already in place. I expect the integration of UAVs into the national airspace will force older aircraft like J-3 Cubs and ultralights into supporting something like ADS-B. The ground stations for that are already being deployed.
What I see as the problem is now you can buy a “drone” for very little money that will fly autopilot, hold station, compensate for wind, self leveling and return to base. Any absolute idiot can learn to fly one in 5 minutes and as with many things, those idiots have no sense of responsibility or regard for ANY rules when it comes to playing around with these things, including privacy.
Of course they all (RC flyers) say otherwise but the proof is already out there. I just cannot see the FAA allowing potentially millions of the things flying around at the whim of idiots. Licensing, commercial or otherwise will ultimately be unenforceable and once the train gets in motion it will almost be impossible to stop.
The FAA has no choice and has been directed to find a way to integrate UAVs into the national airspace. To stay with your train analogy, not only has it left the station, its almost up to cruising speed. Its coming...no question about it.
From there I expect to see some entrepreneurial opportunities to create products that dissuade UAV use below 400 ft over private property, including tracking anti camera lasers and illegal control jammers. The later are trivial with Software Defined Radios.
Some idiot was recently arrested for shooting down a drone over his neighbors property, so I don’t think that is the answer. http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2014/10/07/man-arrested-charged-criminal-mischief-shooting-drone-shotgun/
I just cannot see the FAA letting this crap go commercial without constraints just as they use for aircraft commericial use. Otherwise we WILL have accidents with real aircraft and possible deaths. Nope, is not as simple as you represent and the penalties will be severe.
As to the guy shooting one down, he only made the mistake of doing it down over somebody else’s property. The constitutional privacy provisions will come into play and will it end up in front of the Supreme Court???
Spying into apartment windows on the 20th floor in NY? Already has happened. Flying around airports? Already has happened. Flying high over NY airspace, high enough for airliners to identify? Already has happened. Taking pictures of people in their back yard? Already has happened.
Anybody that is “pro’ of this activity is a real pervert and fan of scandal sheets in the check out aisle in the grocery store.
The FAA has its orders. Its dragging its feet (recently announced a 2 year delay) but its coming. They are not going to be allowed to just say NO. Too many potential law enforcement and commercial uses. Not all involve cameras.
As to the guy shooting one down, he only made the mistake of doing it down over somebody else’s property. The constitutional privacy provisions will come into play and will it end up in front of the Supreme Court???
He also discharged a firearm into the air in a residential area. The UAV was taking pictures of a house under construction at the request of the property owner. He made more than one mistake. There have been other shootdowns involving SHARK with no law enforcement repercussions
Privacy laws are already well understood and I do not see a revamp required by this. Reasonable expectation of privacy is pretty well defined. You do know that a LEO or anybody else can take overhead pictures of your backyard from a manned aircraft? Much better resolution than any civilian UAV. Surprises the hell out of most people when I tell them that. I then remind them of the Streisand case.
Spying into apartment windows on the 20th floor in NY? Already has happened. Flying around airports? Already has happened. Flying high over NY airspace, high enough for airliners to identify? Already has happened. Taking pictures of people in their back yard? Already has happened.
While there is some doubt over some of the specific incidents, I will certainly go along with there are idiots flying them where they should not. I would also point out the very limited resolution, even in HD. Weight limits are the key factor there
Anybody that is “pro’ of this activity is a real pervert and fan of scandal sheets in the check out aisle in the grocery store.
I take umbrage with your position on this. Like any new technology I see useful things with UAVs as well as stupid things. I see the FAA as being little more than a useful idiot which is about typical for them. NTSB may be better than that. Yes there will be voyeurs but that can be worked around. The technology is here, it is growing and while it can be shaped, it cannot be stopped.
Nope, the FAA will not cave to the whims of some hobby loving politicians.
Yes. there are legit uses for drones for law enforcement but letting every tom, dick and harry fly over cities and airports will not happen just for commercial purposes.
I know these hobby flyers very, very well and I know they will NOT be able to restrain themselves. Oh, the older ones that learned to fly the hard way and crashed, fixed and crashed and fixed might be able to constrain their enthusiastic fevor. But these new ones can be flown by any fool and the enticement of flying over the neighborhood or property or whatever the hell they want to will be irresistible. A kid with a new toy syndrome.
The FAA does call the rules and will not cow tow as you predict and the commercial requirements will be fairly strict with punitive penalties for those that violate them.
A fool he will be if he flys over my property.
Believe what you will, but the FAA has already caved. Test sites have been selected and procedure testing is underway. Its behind schedule, but that is par for the course at the FAA.
Old last years news. Test zones were identified last year. When you have something of substance instead of here say let me know.
Like I have said, law enforcement and highly regulated commercial will be allowed but not what the light footed RC folks want.
Law enforcement UAVs have the exact same issues as civilian and commercial ones WRT to see and avoid. Solve it for one, and they solve it for the rest. I expect it to be some sort of mandatory ADS-B like approach, even for hobbyists.
I said earlier I expect there will be entrepreneurial opportunities for both legal and illegal UAV counter measures. That will be fun to watch. SDRs will skyrocket in popularity.s
Those who take the Luddite approach scarcely matter. The rest of us will figure out how to make it work and make some money off of it too.
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