Commentary. The Mercatus Center's report released earlier this week stated that the real drone risk posed to aircraft was "minimal." In a paper that was partly research and partly a pointed critique of the FAA's overblown rhetoric on drone risk, researchers took bird strike data and made assumptions about the number of times (very, very few) that drones were actually likely to … [Read more...] about Is Drone Risk Extreme or Minimal? It’s Past Time to Find Out
Commentary
How to Fly a Drone Without Getting Arrested: State and Local Drone Laws
Commentary - It's getting more and more complicated to figure out how to fly a drone without getting arrested. Connecticut mulls legislation prohibiting drones mounted with flamethrowers, and Utah contemplates allowing officers to shoot down rogue drones. New drone legislation proposals are brought to state houses and city councils every day: and drone operators are left to … [Read more...] about How to Fly a Drone Without Getting Arrested: State and Local Drone Laws
Unregistered Drones: Can the FAA Put Operators in Jail?
Commentary. "Owners of Unregistered Drones May Face Up to 3 Years in Prison," says an article on ActivistPost, pointing out that as the law stands now, drone operators who do not register could be subject to fines of up to $250,000 and jail time of up to 3 years. But legal experts say it may be difficult for the FAA to enforce the law. Three years in jail seems a little … [Read more...] about Unregistered Drones: Can the FAA Put Operators in Jail?
Are Phantoms the Next iPhone?
Responding to a DRONELIFE story on the recent price reduction of the Phantom 3 one reader commented that “Phantoms are the next iPhone. You will never be able to stay up-to-date. A newer version will always be on the horizon. " Is this reader correct? He certainly appears to be on the mark! We compared the release history of iPhone models with the release history of DJI … [Read more...] about Are Phantoms the Next iPhone?
1 Year Ago Today: FAA Announced Drone Regulations
Commentary -- The FAA has had quite a year: they sued a drone photography company for almost $2 million for breaking the rules; pushed a hobby drone registration program through in record time as a holiday gift to the nation; issued a fact sheet for states asserting their authority over the skies; issued another fact sheet to law enforcement officials in order to encourage … [Read more...] about 1 Year Ago Today: FAA Announced Drone Regulations
