Fact; we’re living in a world where technology outpaces the law. This makes sense as you need to understand behavior before you can regulate it. But governments are slow. We see this with the Internet, self-driving cars and drones.
Because of its usages to make extraordinary selfies our PR Manager Rose Zandvliet decided to explore the subject drones a little further.
Drones are no longer toys for the geeky rich and the film industry, but something anyone with a little spare cash can buy. No license or registration needed. Hardly any brains required. Give the baby some juice and take off!
We might soon live in a society where our pretty blue skies are cluttered with drones. Bird spotters can finally get up close and personal with the rare Shorelark. Stalkers no longer have to risk violating their restraining order. Add a gun and some facial recognition to a drone, and being an assassin turns into one of the safest jobs out there.
Or, imagine this – your desk is next to a window, second floor, facing a beautiful Amsterdam canal. Maybe in a few years you can order a coffee online and a drone delivers it right to your window. DHL is already utilizing these ‘Drone deliveries’ in Germany. Laziness to the max.
I got inspired to dive deeper into drone-matter after seeing a nice interview on The Verge with EDM artist and drone enthusiast Deadmau5. He shoots down drones and talks drone-regulation. And his solution to regulation is simple – a certain amount of time in a flight simulator, get your license and register your drone. This resembles how The Netherlands approach drones at the moment. However, if you want to fly commercially, you first need to go to the UK to get training and a license. And then apply for a permit every time you want to get your drone out. These rules aren’t for drones specifically, but for flying ‘model airplanes’.
I WANT TO FLY A DRONE
Great, but you might want to wait until June this year if you want to fly in The Netherlands, then the Dutch government will debate about tailor-made rules and regulation for drones. If you can’t hold your horses that long, then just fly ‘recreationally’ until that time ‘cause for hobbyist there are far less rules & restrictions. Just think before you fly and keep in mind dangerous undertakings; such as flying over people or highways. In the Netherlands there is a lot of airspace where flying drones is prohibited due to air traffic or nature reserves.
Let’s hope the new law that is being created is constructed clearly and simple so here are opportunities for both individuals to fly around safely and companies to structure their services accordingly, and we don’t risk our heads being sliced in two from the rotors.
HAPPY FLYING!
NOTE for the drone experts reading this, yes I know that even though in this blog we call them ‘drones’, they are actually called quadcopters, hexacopters or octacopters.:-)