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Sigh. I'm a "drone hobbyist" myself, although I mostly refer to the hobby as "RC model flying". Nothing new, because the RC flying hobby has been around for dec

Sigh. I'm a "drone hobbyist" myself, although I mostly refer to the hobby as "RC model flying". Nothing new, because the RC flying hobby has been around for decades. Part of me applauds the stricter rules. It's just so easy for some knucklehead to buy a quadcopter from China and fly it around the White House or an airport or over someone's backyard. Unfortunately, these people destroy the hobby, giving it a bad name. On the other hand, the rules we have had for decades (don't fly near airports or restricted zones, don't fly too high, don't fly over crowds, etc.) are perfectly fine and reasonable. We don't need stricter rules and regulations, we need common sense from drone pilots. Secretly I hope that drones are really a fad, and the interest will fade away. That leaves the hobby for the real enthousiasts.

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
"Common sense" isn't common. Lay down clear rules and get people to follow them.
- masklinn 11y ago
  Yup. If you expect a nebulous and undefined "common sense" to prevail after your hobby has entered its eternal september what you'll end up getting is a severe crackdown when shit inevitably hits the fan. "Common sense" is mostly social norms (usually starts out as "hard-earned wisdom" until the culture forgets how it was acquired), when there's a huge continuous influx of new participants the "old culture" can't keep up, neither can its "common sense". Doubly so when a hobby lends itself to nefarious uses and mindless fuckups as much as drones do.
- vwcx 11y ago
  But in a lot of cases, isn't this the same as the people who film themselves climbing tall buildings, bridges, etc? For many people, drones will always have the exhibitionist grandeur attached to them. Sure, they know they aren't allowed to fly near Point A, but the sunset is just so perfect, they can already smell the 4000 upvotes they'll get that night posting on Reddit.
ourmandave 11y ago
If it is a fad, now is the time to ride the inevitable tsunami that's coming. Use your expertise to start a club with exorbitant fees or teach exclusive weekend beginner classes (Bring Your Own Drone). AKA: Start selling pick axes to the new gold miners.
ascagnel_ 11y ago
A simple licensing process would work here; a written test that verifies that pilots have read and understand the rules (similar to a written driver's license test) would likely be enough.

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago

"Common sense" isn't common. Lay down clear rules and get people to follow them.

masklinn 11y ago
Yup. If you expect a nebulous and undefined "common sense" to prevail after your hobby has entered its eternal september what you'll end up getting is a severe crackdown when shit inevitably hits the fan. "Common sense" is mostly social norms (usually starts out as "hard-earned wisdom" until the culture forgets how it was acquired), when there's a huge continuous influx of new participants the "old culture" can't keep up, neither can its "common sense". Doubly so when a hobby lends itself to nefarious uses and mindless fuckups as much as drones do.
vwcx 11y ago
But in a lot of cases, isn't this the same as the people who film themselves climbing tall buildings, bridges, etc? For many people, drones will always have the exhibitionist grandeur attached to them. Sure, they know they aren't allowed to fly near Point A, but the sunset is just so perfect, they can already smell the 4000 upvotes they'll get that night posting on Reddit.

ourmandave 11y ago

If it is a fad, now is the time to ride the inevitable tsunami that's coming. Use your expertise to start a club with exorbitant fees or teach exclusive weekend beginner classes (Bring Your Own Drone). AKA: Start selling pick axes to the new gold miners.

ascagnel_ 11y ago

A simple licensing process would work here; a written test that verifies that pilots have read and understand the rules (similar to a written driver's license test) would likely be enough.