Do we have to let people die before we regulate unmanned flying aircraft?  PLEASE SHARE!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The FAA has been struggling to write the rules for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for several years.   Meanwhile, the agency says it's receiving about 25 reports per month from pilots who have seen unmanned or model aircraft operating near their planes. The consequences of even a small UAV colliding with an airplane or getting sucked into its engine could be catastrophic.

The problem isn’t limited to the U.S. alone.  Just this week in London a UAV passed within 20 feet of an Airbus 320 full of passengers!  Its a worldwide problem.  Meanwhile, recreational unmanned aircraft have been a very popular gift this holiday season, potentially adding thousands to the skies.

When rules do come out, the FAA’s proposed regulations will start a lengthy comment and debate period, with industry, privacy and other interests likely to weigh in. It may eventually fall to Congress and the White House to sort it all out and decide how restrictive drone policy should be.  Needless to say… this could take years.

There is a simple solution that needs to be instituted NOW!  Because of their relatively small size, and the vastness of the sky, UAVs are virtually invisible.  They don’t have to be.

Most aircraft today are required to have a transponder, which lets Air Traffic Controllers know who they are & where they are.  By 2020 all aircraft flying in controlled airspace will be required to transmit a GPS derived ADS-B signal to inform other aircraft & air traffic controllers of their precise position in the sky along with their identity, without the use of radar.

GPS devices are very cheap & very small today, as are radio transmitters.  In fact, every smartphone & many other cell phones have a GPS chip built in, as do many unmanned aircraft.

Every UAV capable of flying above 400 ft. (thus exempting small flying toys) should be mandated at the point of manufacture to contain a GPS, a unique serial number, & transmit their ADS-B position.  The law should require anyone owning one of these UAVs, to register its unique serial number to their name & address, as is currently required for GPS based personal locator transmitters.  The penalties for non-compliance should be steep, as they already are for currently certified model aircraft enthusiasts.

Though there are rules currently in place regarding where UAVs can & can’t fly, there is no way to tell who is flying them, & where.  This simple solution virtually eliminates that.

Will this totally eliminate the risks unmanned aerial vehicles present?  Of course not.  Just as there are some people driving cars without licenses, there will be those who don’t register.  BUT THEIR UAV WILL STILL BROADCAST ITS IDENTITY & POSITION.   Any home builder found constructing a non-complying unit would be subject to severe penalties and/or imprisonment.  Its certainly a good start!

But the only way to get something like this done before people get killed is for the public to be informed & speak out.  Hopefully if enough of us speak out, the right ears will listen.

Please share this to get the word out.