Dronery: the Microdrama

Aerial photo from a low-end drone showing "jello" distortion

Three years in prison and a total of $277,500 in fines and penalties. That's what I could receive if I flew my camera-equipped quadcopter without marking an official FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) number on it. And that's just federal heat. Texas has its own set of rules and consequences.

Welcome to the fun world of drone flying!

I wanted to get a drone to use as a flying camera. I'm not real interested in racing them or building my own. I just wanted a flying camera. In this case, I wanted to be open and legal about it. (Disclaimer: I don't necessarily urge other people to be open and legal. I have specific reasons.)

Besides the federal laws, Texas has its own set of drone rules, some of which sound pretty weird. It seems to be legal here to take pictures with a drone in a public space, but only if you use a non-"amplified" camera, and you don't fly more than eight feet above the ground.

That's weird, because in a public space, people occupy the first six feet or so of the available airspace. Maybe seven feet if you count hats and hairdos. That's not where you want to fly a drone, because people!

I haven't been strong enough yet to try to figure out what an "amplified" camera is, or why they're so dangerous.

Between learning how to fly the thing, studying to get certified as a sUAS (small unmanned aerial system) pilot, and trying to find places to fly, this has become an engaging hobby. By "engaging", I mean it's making my head swim from trying to stuff so much information in.

But it's also a fascinating hobby, because the tech is so cool. Civilian drones are being used from everything from simple fun to serious business like infrastructure inspection or search and rescue. They can be an artistic tool for a photographer or a working tool for a rancher.

They're a lot like firearms. Lots of uses, and most people do so safely and responsibly. But there are always a few idiots who screw things up for other people and give policy makers an excuse to make bad policy.

That's the most interesting thing I've learned about drones so far. Like shooting, drone flying is a political hobby. It's not one of the Great Political Causes, but it could be a good exercise in both understanding and exerting citizen control over the law-regulation-reform cycle.