Looks like someone at the FAA inadvertently posted something they should not have done to Google Docs. See http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregory...-all-9-insights-into-forthcoming-regulations/ and the document itself is at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5zlqyqHUl3_YUdjME5sUWlYdVk/edit?pli=1 (Thanks to Scot Strimple and ARPAS.UK for emailing me.) This is NOT the NPRM, but an evaluation of it -- perhaps the most interesting stuff, from the aviation point of view, starts on page 71, Appendix 5 - Alternatives the FAA Considered. The UAS NPRM does not yet appear referenced on the FAA's web site, nor, as far as I can tell, on the Federal Register. Based on the NPRM Evaluation, the FAA is considering allowing UAS pilots to get licenses with just an aeronautical knowledge test and not a practical flight test!!! As long as you know the Rules of the Road you can drive a car. Hmmm. What could go wrong with that, I wonder? Andy.
Just released news. FAA to release Drone NPRM on Sunday Feb 15. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Proposed-Drone-Rules-Revealed-Sunday-223562-1.html
I for one am glad there going with the uAS licensing and not a PPL or CPL. That would put a lot of guys like myself who are doing this part time completely out and lose a bunch of money that we've already put into our birds. I do agree there needs to be some type of regulation but the common sense type regulation they are looking to put out, only issue I have is the no flying at night. I have done a couple of shoots at night on closed sets without any problems. That should be the stipulation is a closed set to be allowed nighttime flying.