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The FAA has released its final rules for drone registration requirements. Every small unmanned aircraft used for hobby and recreational purposes must be registered (you can begin registering on December 21st). This includes traditional radio controlled models in addition to autonomous and semi-autonomous drones. "Small" means 0.55 to 55 lbs.
takyon: Registration costs $5 per operator, but the fee will be waived for the first 30 days to encourage early registration:
Anyone 13 and older can register themselves as an operator; younger children can operate drones under adult supervision with proper registration.
This is only one of the elements of FAA's drone-related rulemaking. The agency is also tackling a set of comprehensive rules for recreational drone fliers and another one for commercial drone operators, such as Google or Amazon.
For now, the FAA's guidance for fliers of store-bought and homemade drones remains the same: Keep your drones under 55 pounds; fly them within your line of sight and below 400 feet; stay at least 5 miles away from an airport; avoid flying near stadiums or crowded places; and take some drone classes or join a club for extra safety.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:07AM
Let's say hundreds of thousands of kids get expensive drones for Christmas, and the registration just isn't completed for many "operators".
When will not having the registration become a problem? For amateur reporters and anybody filming the police/FBI using drones (example: First Amendment audits). They will get stopped and face demands to see registration, and possibly ID. In fact, maybe the need for identification to verify the "registered operator" status could become an end-run around state laws that don't require identification when it is demanded without detention or arrest.
And anybody who gouges an eye out or hits someone in the shoulder using a drone had better be registered.
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:20AM
I have a feeling that they might eventually figure out a legal way to demand an ID, from the operator a motorized vehicle requiring a registration.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:22PM
That's old news. To get around it you take alternate transportation to the site or park your car far, far away from the audit. In some videos you can watch as cops stalk a guy all over the place to his vehicle in order to illegally run his plate number or find some reason to pull the driver over.
The remaining method the cops have is to take a picture of your face with their own smartphone.
Keep in mind this is all over legal activities (filming from a sidewalk or other public area). They will claim they want your identity or contact details in order to check up on you if there is a terrorist attack, citing their "policies".
This is assuming they don't resort to assault and false arrest, or false detention to get your ID.
"What's going on?"
"I just want to talk to you."
"This is a sensitive area."
"I don't know what you're going to do with this video."
"Who are you with?"
"Don't you know there's been terrorist attacks recently?"
"I want to know who I'm talking to."
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:29PM
Why bother?
The cops can legally run your plate as they drive the other way, courtesy of thousands of scumbags with warrants or stolen vehicles. That's settled law.
The cops can ask for your license even without probable cause, whether at a checkpoint or when you're fishing. Enforcement of a drone license could only happen during operation ("hey you, autonomous GPS AI, gimme your license"), and it won't be hard to argue that witnessing dangerous operation is not necessary wen they want to sweep the RC airfield.
It's got nothing to do with your car, though it works the same: You are operating a vehicle requiring a license, you may be prompted to prove that you indeed have a license for it and that you are the person whose name is on the license. If you can't, enjoy your fine.
Whether the license has your picture on it, or you show your passport, is irrelevant to the basic notion that you need to prove you're licensed.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:52PM
You are not necessarily required to identify yourself in all states if you are on foot and not in your vehicle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes [wikipedia.org]
If you are in a state where they can't ask for your name/address/ID without detaining or arresting you, you can just refuse or walk away. But they might stalk you to get information on you, photograph your face, or illegally detain/arrest you in order to get your ID.
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(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 15 2015, @04:58PM
There is such a thing as abusing license plate info:
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/9-investigates-cops-abusing-statewide-database-sys/nftmM/ [wftv.com]
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-01-22/news/os-law-enforcement-access-databases-20130119_1_law-enforcement-officers-law-enforcers-misuse [orlandosentinel.com]
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140703/12141627774/documents-show-100-officers-28-law-enforcement-agencies-accessed-photographers-records.shtml [techdirt.com]
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