We were prepared to do an analysis this week on the 29,000 public comments the FAA has received to the Special Rule for Model Aircraft.  Our plans were derailed, however, when the FAA unexpectedly decided to extend the comment period by another 60 days.  As a result, UAS hobbyists can still give the FAA a piece of their mind through September 23, 2014.

This would, however, be a good time to bring readers up to date about the issues that are generating so much interest.  Not surprisingly, almost all of the comments available for review are negative, and hobbyists have not been shy about voicing their disappointment.  Some of the more concise comments include:

  • “Don’t stick your hands in the pie when it aint (sic.) broken…”
  •  ”Please keep our hobby a hobby.  Just like bike riding on a sonday (sic.) afternoon.” 
  • “I oppose this rule.  This America (sic.) not Russia.  leav (sic.) me alone”
  • “WHY?”
  • “Surely the FAA has better things to do.”
  • “You incredibly dumb people at the FAA has (sic.) even got the other countries around the world talking about how stupid your decisions are.”
  • “Too much regulation, too little fun. All work and no play makes me vote the other way.”
  • “Please do not punish the 98% to stop the 1 or 2% from being bad.”

To be fair, most of the comments are a little more substantive than this, and a great many are well written and argued.  A survey of the submissions reveals one issue that has really struck a nerve with hobbyists, the definition of visual line-of-sight. 

From the hobbyist perspective, it would appear that one of the key technological developments in recent years that has truly made the hobby fun is the ability to fly using First Person View (FPV).  The latest FPV technology allows images from the front of the UAS to be sent to a goggle mounted headset giving the operator the same view as if he or she were actually on board the UAS.  Under the Special Rule, the pilot must be able to see the craft from the ground with his unaided vision at all times.  This definition effectively bans any FPV flying.   

While we have never flown a UAS using FPV ourselves, it does sound like a great deal of fun.  Everyone wants to be able to fly, and this is a low cost way to do it.  Hopefully future developments in sense-and-avoid and other automated collision avoidance systems will make FPV a safer way to fly.  Until then, it looks like we will have to fly with our goggles off. 

Oh, and for the record, we don’t recommend sticking your hands in the pie, whether it’s broken or not.