The Dangers Are Real?

Whether they pose a true threat to the NAS or not, drones/model airplanes/unmanned aircraft systems have been lambasted by the FAA as of recent. Is the threat high enough to require blanket registration for all model aircraft within the .5 to 55lb weight limit? The FAA thinks so. But the AMA recently debunked their logic by analyzing the 764 "close call" reports by pilots and found only 27 were actually close enough to be called a near-miss. So in the name of this perceived threat, I've compiled a list of very real threats to the National Air Space and humans in general - all of which are registration free.

The Semi Automatic Rifle

First off, I'm a gun-lover at heart, so don't think for a second this is some sort of anti pew-pew babbling. But in comparison, a 1-pound quadcopter is tame next to a 5.56 carbine. The reality is that federal law enables you to build or buy most semi-automatic long guns in the USA without the need to register them. State and local laws vary, but you get the gist.

The Ultralight Aircraft

The quintessential go-kart with wings is a cost-effective means of taking to the sky without a pilot's license. In fact, your ultralight doesn't have to meet airworthiness certification standards, nor does it have to even be registered. By law, no training is required to fly one in the national airspace, and the FAA is perfectly fine with that. Maybe they missed the part about 134 fatalities due to ultralight crashes in the past 30 years? Regardless, the FAA considers a 1-lb quadcopter to represent more of a threat to the NAS than an ultralight. Now here's some food for thought: a full-scale ultralight doesn't require registration, a radio controlled ultralight does...

The Laser Pointer

Green, to be exact. The green laser pointer seems to find it's way into media headlines once a month. They're not eyeball-friendly, and disperse into a 6-10 foot wide beam by the time they hit a flying aircraft's cockpit window at altitude. The result is a temporarily blinded pilot and a federal offense. And unlike a drone sighting, there's no denying you saw a green laser hit your cockpit; it's fair to estimate that 100% of laser sightings are indeed lasers! Yet, somehow, they remain legal.

Two Sticks of Butter

And last but certainly not least, I give you two sticks of butter. The FAA recently noted that a pair of butter sticks (I'm assuming unsalted) are roughly the minimum weight of a drone that requires registration. But alas! Butter is ultimately responsible for WAY more deaths in the United States than the ubiquitous drone. Butter has been clogging arteries for centuries!

The FAA said it best in their UAS Registration Q&A: A registration requirement encourages a culture of accountability and responsibility. That's funny, Doesn't the AMA encouraged the same things? But apparently that's not good enough for the FAA. Now that they've sucked the fun right out of model aviation, it's high time the FAA go's after the true threat to the NAS: Canadian Geese.