Wondering how to comment on the proposed rules for Remote ID, this how to guide will help you maximize your efforts when commenting!

The flight crew at Drone U are finally ready to release our “How To” guide on responding to the FAA’s horrible proposal for Remote ID.  This article will showcase why the guide is so powerful, how to use the guide, how to comment and how to unify.

Drone U has been working behind the scenes with other industry leaders to come up with a unified plan to combat the horrid language present in this iteration of the NPRM. Many of those participants are also putting out similar papers and articles. Some already have. Yet, we believe it is so important for drone pilots to unify on their solutions to the proposed rule. 

That’s why we launched our Comment GUIDE with a top down approach to focus on the largest problem at hand to squash all the smaller issues. 

Drone U and FPV Freedom Coalition have decided to combine forces and expertise in order to put out a comment guide people can add to their arsenal when they write their comments. The issues with this NPRM transcend any differences the various aspects of the UAS community. So whether you’re commercial, hobbyist, old-timer r/c, or even outlaw FPV, we must all come together to let the FAA and various federal security agencies know what this NPRM, if finalized as written, will do to this industry.

The front page of our comment guide will cover the rules of commenting and how to maximize your efforts. From there we go over the largest problems with the proposed Remote ID rules and showcase potential solutions that would help everyone. We do not have to give up privacy for security! 

When commenting, it is important to tell a personal story of how the proposed rules will affect yourself, your business and your family. 

The readers of the comments don’t need to know every detail of your life story, but tell them how it will affect you in a personal way. Have you been verbally or physically assaulted while out flying? Tell them. 

Have you invested a ton of money in a fleet of drones, but those will all be limited to 400’ from now on? Tell them. Are you a teacher? How will the new rules affect your STEM class? Tell them. Are you a First Responder or journalist? How will the public’s ability to easily find your location affect your safety and job? Tell them. How are you related to the aviation industry? Use your bonafides. Tell them.

The time you spend on your comment crafting, editing, rewriting, and editing again, will pay off in spades. But (and this is a very important but), unless your comment is well thought out, well written, and professional in nature, you’re wasting your time. If there are 10,000 comments that start out “I am writing in response to the FAAs notice of proposed rulemaking on remote identification of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)...” then each of those comments will be collated and counted as one comment. So PLEASE do not copy and paste. 

Also, don’t be afraid to showcase the larger macro problem at hand, asking open ended calibrated questions, “Do you really want to inhibit the future astronauts of America by removing drones from stem education?” 

It is important to remember your comments are public record, and more importantly, they’ll be part of the decision process for a VERY IMPORTANT part of our industry.

 This is possibly the most important UAS NPRM ever to be published. So your comments do matter. 

They will be listened to. 

Don’t believe to the naysayers who tell you otherwise, they’re bitter and wrong. If you don’t believe me, did you know the original Part 107 NPRM had a hard 400’AGL limit? Period. No higher, no matter what. The FAA realized, via the NPRM comments, that a hard 400’ limit would severely impact our ability to use our tools for work. And out of that came the 400’ envelope.

So comment, your livelihood literally depends on it. Whether drones are your occupation or avocation. There should be 25,000 comments by the end of the comment period. At least.

Download this comment guide, and get cracking. 

Then 

1. share the guide with a friend
2. ask the drone friend if they have commented
3. write a local article in the paper showcasing how your business or love of flight will be destroyed by the NPRM
4. KEEP FIGHTING

And as always, fly safe, fly smart, and have fun!!!

Find the Comment Guide Here.

Comment (1)

• D

  fighting for our rights

  Dale scharp