Gerard

, New Zealand

Posted on
2020-02-13 22:41:26
“Firstly I am not a US citizen, however my concern is that, right or wrong, what is adapted in the USA is often followed by other countries, potentially including mine. I have suffered for many years from anxiety and depression, flying FPV, especially with my 11 year old son, is one of the few things that can bring about a sense of sanity and a feeling of well being. Soaring at 2 or 300 feet via fpv in a slow flying glider gives a perspective on the world that you cannot get any other way, it is very calming and relaxing. Flying at high speed down at 2 or 3 feet between trees and other obstacles gives an adrenaline buzz you cannot get any other way without putting your body on the line and my body is too old for that. I am on a very limited budget and have several scratch built aircraft. The cost of any requirement to add remote id to my aircraft would see most if not all of them grounded or alternatively see me flying illegally. Citing safety concerns as a reason for implementing remote ID seems a little off the mark to me as it seems there is yet to be a documented death or serious injury from a civilian operated drone colliding with a full sized aircraft. The same cannot be said for microlight aircraft which it seems, also don’t have remote ID. Heck remote ID does not even stop full sized aircraft from crashing into each other. Apart from a few idiots, who will not comply with remote ID anyway, most RC flights are carried out well below 400 feet and within the current regulations, you are trying to fix something that isn’t broken. Unless of course the reason behind all this is the safety of delivery drones that want to take over our skies. The size and weight of these things pose a far greater safety risk than anything most recreational flyers put in the sky.”