Charles

Latshaw

, Grand Junction

, Colorado

, United States

Posted on
2020-02-24 14:18:03
“I’m a Part 107 licensed drone pilot. I earn income from selling my drone photography. I live in the American West and generally fly remote, unpopulated areas of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. I rarely have any data coverage where I’m flying. That’s my current situation. I’m also a licensed HAM radio operator — not to talk to other HAMs, but to have a better understanding of the radio frequencies and issues in RC flying. But I started into remote flying about 7 years ago when I started building my own aircraft from scratch and testing and experimenting in my backyard. I was able to learn a whole new field of science and technology, and develop my own skillset as an amateur. The proposed new FAA regulations would significantly limit the ability of those like myself to develop their interests in remote technology, and could potentially cripple the ability of many schools to develop students’ interests in the same field. I recognize the need for safety, especially in heavily populated areas or in commercial flight paths. But I feel the issue is largely one of education rather than regulation. From what I can tell, the vast majority of unsafe behavior comes from people who’ve recently purchased a ready-to-fly model and have no knowledge of the safety concerns they may entail.”