It seems the witch hunt will be postponed. Apparently some of the glaring flaws that the drone community pointed out about the FAA’s proposed public drone sightings website proposal may have (finally) become apparent to them – the FAA has withdrawn their Office of Management and Budget request for notice and comments on the project.
Saying that the document “contained errors, and needs further clarification,” the FAA filed an official notice to withdraw the agency’s “Notice to collect information to process and report Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) airborne and ground based observations by the public of drone behavior that they consider suspicious or illegal.”
The proposed website would have made it possible for anyone in the public to report a drone that they considered suspicious. The proposal was widely criticized, with many in the drone industry questioning the validity of publicly sourced data, and voicing concerns about the potential harassment of legitimate drone operators.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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F@#$ the FAA. I will not register any of my drones. f@#$ them.