Techdirt Podcast Episode 113: Will Regulations Ground Drone Innovation?

from the flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants dept

Tue, Mar 14th 2017 1:30pm — Leigh Beadon

The rise of drones in both the personal and commercial spheres has happened with stunning speed, and it has created a whole bunch of hard-to-answer regulatory questions. This week we're joined by Notifleet's Siggi Hindrichs to discuss the current state and future of drone regulation by the FAA.

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Filed Under: drones, faa, podcast, regulation, siggi hindrichs
Companies: notifleet

9 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2017 @ 1:34pm

No
But like all regulation they will fucking make doing anything far more fucking expensive and unreasonable to pursue, well, except for rich people, as usual.
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Cdaragorn (profile), 14 Mar 2017 @ 2:00pm

Isn't the FAA outside its jurisdiction?
I've always been a bit confused by this. The FAA has the power to regulate when and where someone can fly, but it's never supposed to make an opinion on WHY you are flying.

So how are they getting away with this kind of junk rule making?
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Jason, 14 Mar 2017 @ 2:19pm

Re: Isn't the FAA outside its jurisdiction?
Simply put, the FAA has jurisdiction over the airspace in the US. Regulating its safe and efficient use is pretty much their exact reason for existing.
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Cdaragorn (profile), 14 Mar 2017 @ 2:21pm

Re: Re: Isn't the FAA outside its jurisdiction?
Yes, but regulating the fact that you want to use a drone for business use vs personal use has NOTHING to do with regulating its "safe and efficient" use. That distinction seems to be completely outside the powers they've been given to regulate it.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2017 @ 2:50pm

Re: Re: Re: Isn't the FAA outside its jurisdiction?
Don't worry friend... the US government has dispensed with following the law. The constitution has already had every last portion of it ignored, so there is just exactly no chance that they will be concerned with any other law of lesser import.

So you need to comply or we show the world your internet history to discredit you and if we have to... install some CP directly on your computer so we can just go ahead an make the world think you are a shit-stain of a human and laugh with glee as your support fades to nothing.

By the way? How do you take your strip searches? With rusty tongs or stand paper gloves? We look forward to serving our future prisoners... ahem clientele.
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Jason, 15 Mar 2017 @ 5:44am

Re: Re: Re: Isn't the FAA outside its jurisdiction?
I guess that's a matter of opinion. Different use cases (e.g., business or pleasure) have different constraints, pressures, even motivations, all of which impact other aspects of the process.

I'm not arguing that there aren't ways to improve or streamline the way things are currently set up, but I don't think that it's necessarily wrong to have those kinds of regulatory distinctions.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Mar 2017 @ 7:28am

Let them eat cake.
The rights of the few and the wealthy shall not be abridged. The rest of you can go eat cake.
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Damian Ivereigh (profile), 16 Mar 2017 @ 2:36pm

Eagles attacking drones
This is kinda awesome: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-17/wedge-tailed-eagles-bring-down-drones-in-goldfields/8033056
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Abolish Copyright, 17 Mar 2017 @ 6:18am

Re: Eagles attacking drones
Cool story. Included in it is this statement from mine surveyor Rick Steven:

"People couldn't believe I was able to get such a good photo of an eagle airborne, but I didn't … another eagle took that photo."

Of course, that hasn't stopped the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from claiming copyright on it.

Abolish copyright.
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