Folks are fond of telling me we can’t live in the past; however, with the FAA and federal regulations/policies, it is a legacy that governs aviation. Considering that this is an international audience, I will say, fortunately/unfortunately, you are not immune from the DC inanity, as most downstream Western countries (ICAO subscribers et al.) follow the FAA’s lead as it lightens the load at the local level.
Even the smallest shortsighted policy “victories” (aka mistakes) have haunted and hobbled any semblance of a viable global drone ecosystem over the last twenty-some-odd years. Irreparable damage has been inflicted upon the fledgling industry by “visionaries” who thought they could circumvent the FAA. Even those folks with friends in the Obama White House, who personally assured me they would never face regulation, were callously and systematically sandbagged into absolute ruination. GoPro suffered collateral damage from a free-falling price point that dropped like a B61 Dharma bomb on the Karma.
The lapdog “advocacy” groups had no choice but to shaft their membership for the sake of feigned relevance and validation if there was any hope of cashing in on or even continuing participation. The payoff in this case was the eventual teased regulatory gravy train; boots got licked with a flair for adoration. Not to be outdone, those self-proclaimed policy “experts” added grievous insult to injury assuming they had enough money and lobbying horsepower to indemnify their handler’s interests.
Part 108 further advances the notion of Drone Dominance and the hopeful belief that it will enable a viable domestic low-altitude economy to rival China’s. Unfortunately, this much-lauded effort will not achieve the goal of file-and-fly BVLOS. Part 108 will likely not have the desired scaling effect or outcome for anyone besides the corporations connected enough to crash with impunity.
The USA has been kicking itself in the innovation shins since the 1946 implementation of the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). After the war, the mindset was one of selflessness, duty, and patriotism. (Placeholder for an encouraging NACA story at some later date.) Over the last 80 years, that old-fashioned notion has devolved into wanton shiftlessness that makes the DC differential and the private-sector offramp the primary motivations. Not all, mind you, as there are always one or two exceptions to the rule.
Golly, do you ever wonder why you don’t hear this at the Selfie-Droner tradeshows or Dog and Pony Podcasts?
