Clampdown on drones!

[sonygoup]

CAATT Clamping down on drones!

""THE STATE is moving to strictly regulate the use of drones — unmanned aircraft guided remotely, such quadcopters used in aerial photography — by introducing legal regulations that would make the devices illegal in the absence of registration certificates obtained from aviation authorities.

Ramesh Lutchmedial, the Director General of Civil Aviation at the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority, will tomorrow meet with Ian Macintyre, the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, at the Ministry of the Attorney General, Cabildo Chambers, Port-of-Spain, to push forward the process of introducing a regime of regulation for the devices.*

Draft regulations prepared by the aviation regulator were submitted to the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel a month ago for review. When finalised and approved, the regulations will have to be approved by the Legislative Review Committee of the Cabinet and then the Cabinet before coming into force through publication in the Gazette.*

Lutchmedial on Friday spoke with Sunday Newsday about the draft regulations which will require all owners of these devices to register their craft. “There is a proliferation of drones, such as the ‘copters’ used for aerial photography,” he said. “In other countries the use of these devices is regulated. We are preparing a set of regulations. All drones will have to be registered and conditions will be attached for their use in order to ensure they do not pose a safety hazard to persons on the ground and to aircraft.*

If not registered it will be illegal to operate one of these devices. Every drone will require a certificate of registration and an identifying number.” Lutchmedial continued, “the rules are currently being reviewed by the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and we will be meeting (tomorrow) to discuss them.” He noted an informal scheme of registration is in place at the Civil Aviation Authority.""
Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,215979.html


As quoted above is a article that was posted in the Newsday a few days.

I disagree with part of it but remembering Im live in a society where anything and everything is a abused. I had to agree with what's gonna be put in place for it. Because there are reports on drones being used within local plane airspace and the crashing of these devices on private property.

I myself was about to buy one to play around with a old go pro 2 I have but after reading the article and have to register every drone I own. I'd say no because I see this being tedious as it would be in government office :|. And to the fact that I have a few small the medium helicopters in my collect already, I'd be getting rid of those just to avoid the registration process.

What you guys thing about this?!

 

[nirtime]

I agree with your points on it. It's too tedious for something that can be considered recreational. I mean, you not flying these things to get to point B, you fly them in the vicinity under your control to have fun and use the video for fun purposes.

This is sounding a lot like automotive where you register your car and have insurance to use it on road. I feel with the registration and legislation in place, the drones will become the same thing which I think is nonsense. They don't sell these things with VIN numbers for a reason, maybe that is what is they are missing with this legislation they are proposing.

I think if a little copter lands in someone's yard its not much different to a ball going over into someone's yard. Why don't they have legislation and a VIN for that too since that can also hit objects and people.

I think if these things are being flown within a reasonable height and in an open public space away from a crowd of people, I see nothing wrong with it being free. It's when it gets high into air space territory then it should require legislation.

 

[The Dude]

I think the process will also have to take into account the size of he drone. Similar to how you don't have to register a gokart which is basically a small car. Maybe if they impose certain guideline restrictions like making it mandatory to register any drone carrying a camera and all non-camera carrying drones (unmanned aircrafts) above a certain size, horsepower or range.

If they just apply it across the board so you can't buy you kids a toy helicopter for Christmas then that would be crap. Btw, people have died from remote control helicopter crashes so there is some rationality behind it. Also, knowing how trinis like to abuse things, I'm worried that someone would use a drone to peak into someone's window... I'm even more concerned that the protective services followed by the media would be the first to do this.

 

[nirtime]

To start with, don't our laws neglect to consider cameras and videoing? I'm still unclear as to what the law is with regards to video and cameras.

Yeah people may have died from them and I can see it happening with the larger ones but don't tell me a little palm sized copter needs registration... Then they may as well make you get a license plate for your push bike because Bikes are very dangerous if used indiscreetly.

 

[LadyDeath]

Drones have been regularized in some states in America . This was due to people using the drones for other reasons than recreation which includes spying and flying in restricted areas. I agree that drones in Trinidad should be regularized to fly in recreational areas or events . Breach of privacy is a serious thing