Best video yet for explaining the FAA 333 Exemption for Drone Flying

[Rich Rubasch]

And the requirement for every exemption holder to be a pilot….this from the FAA:

Current statutes require that all aircraft operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) be conducted by pilots holding an appropriate airman certificate and for the typical operations conducted under Section 333 related grants of exemption, the FAA determined that they can be conducted safely by airman holding airline transport, commercial, private, recreational, or sport pilot certificates. The FAA cannot deviate from this statutory requirement. For more information, visit: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/

The sUAS NPRM proposes a new UAS operator certificate. Should the final rule (expected to be issued early Summer 2016) include this provision, it will provide another avenue for potential operators.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com

[Todd Terry]

There’s actually a lot of great info if you watch all of that rather lengthy video.

The pilot certification requirement is obviously the most restrictive… and as the guy says it has nothing to do with the actual flying. I’m a pilot, and can tell you first hand that my experience as a pretty decent fixed-wing pilot has absolutely zero benefit nor is a factor at all in my fair-to-average ability as a RC quadcopter pilot. None. Nada. Zip. Totally two different worlds. It would be like your accountant saying “You can trust me with your taxes, I’m a world-class fly fisherman.” They are just almost completely unrelated in skill and ability requirements.

I have my fair share of hours in the cockpit, but there are no doubt plenty of whiz kid teenage gamers who’ve had a joystick in their hands 24/7 for the last five years who could fly circles around me (literally) with a drone.

But, as the guy said, the pilot certification is there so operators will know about controlled airspaces, what NOTAMs are, how to file flight plans and communicate with controllers and all that jazz. But honestly all of that can be taught in ground school that would take a fraction of the time (and money) that it takes to get a real pilot’s certification.

Maybe one day they’ll have that in place… unfortunately government gears grind slowly.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com