TO DRONE OR NOT TO DRONE? That is the Question...

Part 1:  Can I fly one?  Well, it depends on who you are.  If you are a government, lifeguard service, electrical company, the coast guard, etc., you need a Certificate of Authorization from the FAA.  If you are a non-commercial user, such as someone who flies for fun and not profit, you need to follow FAA’s “Special Rule” for model aircraft.  So who is left?  Well, it is the “commercial” user (the ranks of which are rapidly shrinking of late, with lots of clearly commercial users who would post their prices and services now just discussing how “consulting” with them might benefit a user, or how the “solution” they come up with could help an advertising campaign).  Under the latest FAA discussions, it appears that if you want to fly commercially you need not only the Certificate of Authorization that the governmental entities need, but also a “Certificate of Airworthiness” and a Special Exemption (sounds a lot like a “permit” to me).

So, the government folks have it relatively easy, the hobbyist/recreational drone flyer needs only to abide by the “special rules” (more on this later), but the commercial operator has relatively turbulent skies ahead.  The first thing that comes to mind with FAA regulations is whether FAA even has the power to regulate drones, much less commercial uses of drones.  On one side, there is “Trappy” and his lawyer, who claim FAA lacks jurisdiction to assess fines on drone operators.  On the other side, the FAA makes is pretty clear on their website where they think their jurisdiction lies.   

(Eric Hanscom regularly flies his drone, below 400 feet, and for purely hobbyist purposes, and tries not to be a dridiot)