Should drones be regulated?

[Guest]

No. I don't think so.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Well you can't blame Americans for that one.  I will at least give these Finns props for the production quality of their YouTube video.

 

This is pretty close to the Darwin award thread we had going recently.

 

You can blame Americans for this one:

 

 

Drones are at least now required to be licensed in the US and the FAA is making lots of noise about flying in any restricted airspace. (I'm not talking about area 51, but elevation limits and flight paths.)

[mezzoman253]

Drones are already regulated in the UK see http://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-Industry/Aircraft/Unmanned-aircraft/Unmanned-Aircraft/ and https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/drones/

 

In reality there aren't many places you can fly a drone as you can't fly it within 50 metres of a person. In the Uk there aren't many places that won't apply.

 

Rob

[bescotbeast]

simple answer - YES

[Horsetan]

...

In reality there aren't many places you can fly a drone as you can't fly it within 50 metres of a person. ....

...and if you do, you are likely to have it confiscated since drones, rather fortuitously, contain motors that could be reused in model locomotives...

[Titan]

That is scary. However I am not sure how holding up a piece of paper with a regulation on it will stop a bullet...

[4630]

.

[pointstaken]

If they are not fully regulated, how long before there is a serious accident, possibly involving say a loaded aircraft ?

 

Dennis

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

In reality there aren't many places you can fly a drone as you can't fly it within 50 metres of a person. In the Uk there aren't many places that won't apply.

 

The difficulty with this - as with all 'control' attempts - is that it only applies to those who observe the law. It will be interesting to see how this evolves.

[t8hants]

Regulate, ban them, or ask for a massive license fee, it won't

effect the terrorist who wants to fly a radio active 'dirty bomb' drone over a major city.

 

All this sort of legislation acts like a padlock, it only prevents honest people breaking in.

[darrel]

Problem is there are already a lot out there no one knows how many exactly or who owns them

[trisonic]

Bah!  I’ve just designed a GPS Drone Umbrella (to save one having to hold it up, leaving your hands free and it follows the smart phone in your pocket).

 

So much for a “sliced bread” moment....

 

 

Perhaps we British ought to “regulate” Bureaucracy?

 

 

Best, Pete.

[Horsetan]

Problem is there are already a lot out there no one knows how many exactly or who owns them

No, but we do know that a fair few of them have what seem to be good quality coreless motors in them.

 

Some see a threat. I see a source of useful parts.

 

First, catch your drone.

 

Second, wield screwdriver.

 

Third, disassemble.....

[darrel]

No, but we do know that a fair few of them have what seem to be good quality coreless motors in them.

Some see a threat. I see a source of useful parts.

First, catch your drone.

Second, wield screwdriver.

Third, disassemble.....

Is that wield screwdriver at the owner of the drone?

[mezzoman253]

Like all legislation, it only works if society obeys it.

 

Fifty years ago the majority did, there was respect for the law, people and property.

 

Now, with the "me" culture, you can enact legislation but a lot less of society will adhere to it.

 

That says more about current society than whether we should have drones or not.

 

Rob

[Horsetan]

Is that wield screwdriver at the owner of the drone?

No, because drone owner contains no useful parts whatsoever. Especially not the brain.

[Gwiwer]

In several countries use of drones is already regulated.  In my opinion any object capable of powered flight should be firmly managed by the air traffic control authorities by whatever name they are known, and that there should be some harmonisation of standards.

 

There must also be enforcement.  Just as the roads are perfectly safe so long as everyone does the right thing, acts in a predictable manner and obeys the rules (which they don't, on all counts, which makes roads far less safe than they could be) so must the air space be.  There things are capable of downing a large commercial airliner just as is a flock of birds.  One difference is that a drone is being flown by someone who is accountable for its movement and their actions.   Even the £20 million industry standard personal liability insurance one often has wrapped up into the home and contents policy won't cover 300+ fatalities and a replacement aircraft. 

 

Drones have their uses.  They are also wide open to many abuses.  Some incidents have already been reported.  Some people may not wish to be innocently photographed, for example, when on their private property even if the thing is at the permitted distance.  Cameras are at a level of sophistication now that quality images can be obtained from hundreds of metres away.  

 

Regulate, require licence fees commensurate with the cost of registration and regulation and require the owner, as with car drivers, to accept all responsibility at all times unless they name the actual user, if different, at any given time.  It might appear bureaucratic but what price both privacy and safety?

[alfsboy]

Its no really worth  harvesting old drones for motors .They are about 3 quid per million on Ebay .

[Horsetan]

Its no really harvesting old drones for motors .They are about 3 quid per million on Ebay .

Why go to the trouble of paying for them, and waiting for the post, when the source presents itself to you by landing on your property?

 

When tigers are hungry, they tend not to order online at Ocado.

[trisonic]

There’a not much worse in my mind than a Lawyer prancing around in a Tiger suit chasing drones.

 

 

 

Best, Pete.

[Edwardian]

Yes

[bescotbeast]

The technology is great, but as demonstrated in the videos shown above it's the idiots controlling them. As always it's the irresponsible few that spoil it for the responsible majority.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

... In my opinion any object capable of powered flight should be firmly managed by the air traffic control authorities by whatever name they are known, and that there should be some harmonisation of standards...

 I am in complete agreement. Now, I go up most summers with a couple of friends with PPL's. Living in the South East of England, to say the airspace is tightly regulated is to understate the case. And there's a sailplane with no radar reflection worth a damn right where it shouldn't be, and at no small altitude either. Oh, look at that microlight bumbling across our flight path while we are on final. I am experiencing wake turbulence from the heavy making a 'rather wide' turn to land at Luton. And then there is control calling in asking for eyes on to find a light aircraft they have lost, last heading etc.. It goes on and on. The mk 1 eyeball gets a very thorough workout every time.

 

One of the friends thinks light aircraft should be permitted a shotgun type system if drones get into controlled airspace with any regularity.

[Adrian]

Drones are already regulated in the UK see http://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-Industry/Aircraft/Unmanned-aircraft/Unmanned-Aircraft/ and https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/drones/

 

In reality there aren't many places you can fly a drone as you can't fly it within 50 metres of a person. In the Uk there aren't many places that won't apply.

 

Rob

 

just like using a mobile phone whilst driving is regulated.

[Nile_Griffith]

As a CPL holder I won't go bowling in with the reasons I'd like to see non commercial qualified drones grounded.

 

However I do know that there will be a few on here who may well be considering something along the lines of a drone for photographic work, so how about this.

 

http://fotokite.com

 

Not a complete alternative but something useful.