Without an objective drone press (aviation and technology, for that matter), there is no accountability from the regulator, industry, and/or anyone speaking up for the revolving pool of stakeholders and end-users: the same schtick, different decade.
I have spent the last twenty-four-plus years involved in, analyzing, and writing about the drone industry. That all started with links and posts on the hobby chat boards and eventually evolved into the RCAPA Reporter as there were rumors of regulation for the American RC hobbyist and droner.
Community folks at the time did not believe that the FAA would waste their time and money on rockets and the RC Hobby, especially after the colossal failures of 9/11. The AMA wanted nothing to do with drones, aka commercial RC aircraft, FPV, or anything beyond that status quo. The domestic manufacturers and hobby shops said the same before the biscuit wheels fell off their gravy train.
In 2007, when the FAA issued its arbitrary Policy Clarification banning commercial drones, I committed to doubling down as a bulwark against detrimental moves perpetrated against us by the dull, disrespectful, and disingenuous. Be it out of sheer ignorance, shiftlessness, or a profit motive to perpetuate the innovation stifling dysfunction.
We have witnessed a boatload of ham-handed policy and low-grade regulation, all based on a supposed overabundance of safety, while some companies are still allowed to make deliveries. Troubled waters lie ahead for the National/Economic Security and Airspace Sovereignty of the USA and other Western countries. The FCC Part 108 waiver and exemption scheme, moving TFRs, and critical infrastructure carve-out will erode what airspace access we have, and it is highly unlikely that a viable ecosystem will grow out of the ensuing fuster-cluck.
Someone must shed light on these egregious afflictions foisted upon us and offer up pragmatic solutions. It is a known quantity, you'll get the same schtick and the same 24-plus-year ethos; article submissions that are of value to the community are welcome, NO ShamWow paid content. No-holds-barred free speech is exercised in the name of innovation, a viable pro-small-business domestic technology ecosystem, and national security, including our NAS, all as free from fear of reprisal as possible. No quarantines on the reprisals part expressed or implied.
The blowtorch is back.
WWW.UASNEWSUS.com and @TheDroneDealer on X
The What Not To Do Demonstration
This craziness really calls the drone prowess into question. As this drags on, we really have to wonder: what is the real story, and is it something we should dive headlong into? If we want our own brand of Drone Dominance to succeed, we must be careful not to repeat mistakes.