The worlds most popular drone is a magnet for reckless pilots

[Hands0n]

Says a new article here : http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-worlds-most-popular-drone-is-a-magnet-for-reckless-pilots

Have you heard about that time when a  drone struck a building in downtown St. Louis? Or the one that time a drone hit a building in midtown Manhattan? Or the scores of people flying drones through fireworks shows this Fourth of July? Or the drone that got knocked out of the sky by rioting Los Angeles Kings fans? Or that whole NYPD fiasco a few weeks ago?

All these nationally reported and sensationalized cases had one thing in common: The pilot was flying a little white drone  you can buy on Amazon for less than $500.

It';s the  DJI Phantom, and it';s the drone that';s turned its Hong Kong-based manufacturer into the top hobby drone manufacturer. It';s also causing headaches for regulators, for DJI, and for old timers in the drone hobby, simply because it';s so damn popular. Pardon the bluntness, but the issue at hand is how, exactly, do you get people to not fly these things like a bunch of idiots?

This is exactly the kind of attention that behaviour needs to receive.  I';m not sure, however, how I feel being prejudicially referred to as an "old timer" as if that is some sort of disease.  The hobby exists because of hobbyists, as does DJI itself. A bit of retrospective respect wouldn';t go amiss.

[Hands0n]

And a shortie interview from the DJI founder himself

Comparing his current crop of drones to early personal computers, DJI founder Frank Wang says the industry is poised for a growth surge - assuming regulators in more markets clear it for take-off.

http://www.reuters.com/video/2014/07/30/chinas-drone-king-says-the-revolution-de?videoId=329444760

[Biffa]

The founders of DJI couldn';t give a ****** as they are the ones wiping their ass with $100 bills...

[teslahed]

That';s a surprisingly well thought out article from Vice there, not the usual drone based article i';ve come to expect.

People buy it on Amazon and take it outside without reading the manual

Too true. Makes me wish they hid an activation code in the manual somewhere you have to type in to get the thing to fly, without telling you where.

[powerlord]

Good article.  Got me thinking though.  I think there';s an easy-ish answer.

Dji should keep down this track,  but incorporate some of the lessons from computer games.

Basically make training mandatory.

The drone won';t power up out of the box until you';ve completed the ';trainer test a';  which tests you against knowledge in the manual,  etc.  Then maybe it allows flights only to a height of 2 feet,  until you';ve passed test B,  which covers airlaw,  advanced control,  etc.

Stu

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[tupoar]

Good article.  Got me thinking though.  I think there';s an easy-ish answer.

Dji should keep down this track,  but incorporate some of the lessons from computer games.

Basically make training mandatory.

The drone won';t power up out of the box until you';ve completed the ';trainer test a';  which tests you against knowledge in the manual,  etc.  Then maybe it allows flights only to a height of 2 feet,  until you';ve passed test B,  which covers airlaw,  advanced control,  etc.

Stu

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

You';ve got me thinking too.

Based on your idea you could have a system where a user has to register the craft and then complete the tests. Each time you complete a section, you hook up the phantom and it unlocks the next section. By the time you complete all the sections, there is a logged record that you have completed all safety tests and aware of the laws. You are now ready to explore the full potential of the craft.

Expanding on unlocking the next section, there could be put in place a default amount of flying time (ie 10 mins) you have to clock up before you can proceed with the next section.

[nub]

ach i doubt they would do anything like that unless they were made to, and if they did they';d probably be a way to skip through it

there no simple solution, well there is but its slightly unrealistic.

[Oakie]

Models have been flying since the 1950';s and before.

I put my first camera on a Hi-boy in 1983 and many before me I am sure.

The only thing that makes this different is the number of people doing it. to regulate would be a mistake.

Legislation is there already. Is it being enforced, no, will it be? we can only hope.

First model i brought came with an A5 photo copy of an insurance document and information from the specialist hobby store about local club';s etc.
The internet has put an end to that for now i guess....

I was informed then about flying in public with out qualification was against the law. At the time i did not care as i was brought up on a 5,000 acre farm in hertfordshire....

So how does one implement informing people as individuals that can order online without getting out the chair. Forums trying to assist the hobby and the members, in some cases going out their way to assist others starting out.

There is FPV lobbying going on at the moment just waiting for that one accident to tip the scale, its only a matter of time.

But again the only thing making this stand out is FPV. where it LOS....

I am just glad that i found this forum.

On another note what would happen re the scott';s vote coming up if its a yes? I see more and more changing flags, personally i like the Union Jack and a United Kingdom. I love scotland as a country and part of the UK. So the Forum title will change?

I still think the only way to regulate the $500 RTF if its for FPV is to lock them from the factory and have unlock';s in countries that allow it.

Implimentation would not be hard but it will only be a matter of time before someone post';s the ';How to'; in a hackers forum.

So i say again that the only thing making this a problem is the FPV in my view and the continued posting of lovely flights, blackpool tower for example, are killing it. I wounder would that be posted if it started out with illegal flight over Blackpool tower explaining what is illegal might help. I guess that means the pilot has a degree of responsability.......

Which brings us back to the person bent on flying one without any knowledge to start with.

[G60jet]

I feel that the phanton will be the death of the civilian industry.   they are to cheap and people are still flying them anywhere they like.  Selling them with a camera is also an issue.  as everyone thinks they can go use it to make a few quid.   I bet it doesnt say in the UK hand book you need PFAW to sell the images.

I love my flame wheel as a first drone for with a view to doing some commercial work early next year,  but the phantom will crash if one rotor fails, let alone people with no concept of flight.   I';ve come from planes to a drone and its slightly different.  but think im getting there.  They should at least sell it with one years BMFA type insurance or something.

My fear at the moment is the EU will weigh in a kill it of for all of us.  There are a lot of EU countires banning drones already.

[Oakie]

But in the end if something can be circumvented then it will be ......

[shaun]

I suspect regulation is inevitable. If multirotor flying stayed as a niche hobby / small scale specialist interest it might get away with it. But once it becomes commercial (Google, Amazon etc are even looking at it) and therefore big business and / or a volume consumer interest (ie Phantoms and the like able to be bought by anyone with no knowledge or needing to invest time, money and interest to learn), combined with potential safety, security and privacy implications...inevitable I am guessing. Interesting to draw parallels with the motor industry from 100yrs or so ago and where things could go?

[Oakie]

I think gun legislation is a closer analogy...

it only legislated those doing it right in the first place. the rest carried on regardless as there are very limited resources to go check.

and a gun that kills sits in a room waiting to be rented.

[QuadBod]

Hate to say I told you so (not really ), but:

http://www.multi-rotor.co.uk/index.php?topic=4064.msg33010#msg33010