UAS Operators See FAA Rule Backlash

First UAS manufacturers demand to fly their unmanned drones among passenger
airline traffic in the National Airspace System without complying with the
see-and-avoid regulations. Now they are objecting to the federal requirement
for pilots of their UAS to hold an airmans certificate. This sort of hubris is
almost as repugnant as failing to try a police office who emptied his weapon on
an unarmed teen fleeing the hail of bullets.

Ah, the joy of life in the 21st century where self-interest trumps public good
.....



http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/UAS-Operators-See-FAA-Rule-Backlash223143-1.html

UAS Operators See FAA Rule Backlash

By Russ Niles | November 23, 2014

A story in Monday's Wall Street Journal
(http://online.wsj.com/articles/drone-flights-face-faa-hit-1416793905
subscription required) says the FAA's proposed rulemaking on commercial use of
unmanned aerial systems will face so much backlash that it could take years to
enact. Citing unnamed sources, the Journal says the big sticking point will be
the requirement for a private pilot certificate for commercial UAS pilots.
There's also angst that the rule will cover all UASs weighing less than 55
pounds, even tiny handheld models that potentially have commercial
applications. The FAA announced last week
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Report-FAA-Drone-Rule-Imminent223088-1.html
that it intends to have the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) ready by the
end of the year and knowledge of its details is apparently spreading and
causing controversy.

While some aviation groups support the FAA's cautious approach, the UAS
industry is predicting major backlash, possibly led by UAS adopters like Amazon
and Google, who want to use small UASs for package delivery, at least at first.
"I feel like there's a colossal mess coming," Michael Drobec, executive
director of the Small UAV Coalition, of which both Amazon and Google are
members. He said the rule as he understands it is "so divorced from the
technology and the aspirations of this industry that we're going to see a loud
rejection." Other countries are taking a much more liberal attitude toward UAS
operations. As we reported earlier, Canada has opened up much of the country to
line-of-sight small UAS use without direct oversight and created a huge test
site for more advanced systems designed to be flown beyond line of sight.