If this is true then it's not good news for anyone either in the USA or outside of it. Originally there was talk of a 3 year period before Remote ID got implemented, but it looks like the FAA are looking to fast track the whole process so it can be implemented much sooner. See the link below.

https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/05/14/faa-targets-2021-launch-first-public-drone-remote-id-service

Better stock up on electronics now lol.

The way I read it, the FAA wants to have at least one remote ID service provider up and running by the end of this year. That doesn't mean anyone will be required to use it. But there are very few details in that article and nothing official from the FAA so we really don't know much. The FAA could surprise us all tomorrow if they chose to.

Fly it like you stole it: Keep it less than 250g, don't go near people, keep it stealth (low sound, low visibility), arrive, fly a couple of packs, then hit the road.  AND...YES...buy parts now, especially electronics like flight controllers and RX receivers. 

There's gonna be a black market for "pre-ban" FCs and VTXs lollllll.

Technically the FC's and VTX's are also all used in ground based vehicles. The FAA can't ban the sale of them, they can only make it against the regulations to fly them. But if they do manage to find a way to ban them, Skidoosh has promised to smuggle some in for us

so the remote id is going to be something like a additional tracker to attach with the drones so that you can only fly inside your room or FAA designated places (if any)?

(20-May-2020, 06:00 PM)rockford007 Wrote: so the remote id is going to be something like a additional tracker to attach with the drones so that you can only fly inside your room or FAA designated places (if any)?

In a nutshell, any UAV (which includes our freestyle and racing quads) weighing 250g or more will need to have a Remote ID device onboard which broadcasts a unique identity so the UAV itself and the registered owner can be identified by other aircraft, the authorities, and even members of the public, all in real-time. And it gets worse because under the proposal it you wouldn't be able to fit a remote ID device to a self-built quad. You could only buy a pre-built quad with the device already fitted. So it would effectively outlaw building and flying any of your own model aircraft if they will exceed 249g.

There is a ton of info about it on the web and a load of articles in the following link...

https://dronedj.com/guides/remote-id

Russ summarises the details quite nicely in the video below. Be aware that the deadline to submit your comments for the NPRM to the FAA has now passed so you can no longer do that. We all now just have to sit and wait to see what unfolds.

And I'm not sure how long that 250g threshold is even going to hold.

(20-May-2020, 07:39 PM)the.ronin Wrote: And I'm not sure how long that 250g threshold is even going to hold.

Yes, exactly. It looks like Canada will be losing their current regulatory exemptions for sub 250g UAVs, and so will European countries in the next few months. Obviously that is for other regulations and not Remote ID, but I'm sure that just like Remote ID will eventually come to the rest of the world, so will the abolition of sub 250g regulations come to the US. It's only a matter of time before all these regulations spread across the world like wildfire. Which reminds me, don't forget to join Bruce's new IMASL Facebook group. Details are in the video below...

Lets first hope that the 250g threshold maintains. The thing about that size is that they are generally small craft that are stealthy; almost invisible in both sound and sight. My GEPRC Phantom could hardly be heard or seen from farther than about 20 meters. My wife only heard it on take off, landing, and a close "fly by"...and...she could never keep track of it visually.

I do think it will remain for a while. When you see DJI release a drone marketed specifically to that segment (it's got "250 grams" written on the side for crissake LOL), that means the market shouldn't be going away anytime soon. At least long enough for DJI to make their money back - I can't stand them but they are not dopes. They will have spent the $$ on their market projections.

This is why so many companies are starting to make good 4” and ultralight 5” bnfs and components I suppose

I'm new to the hobby, and will likely get flamed for this....but I kinda look at it like a gun permit. Anyone who's willing to follow the rules shouldn't be worried. The tidbit about not being able to incorporate into existing builds bothers me. I know you can get cellular adapters for raspberri pi and arduinos, just figured it'd be a few extra wires.

shame i just spent good money to get setup only to probably be forced to fly illegally

(24-May-2020, 01:56 PM)TStroFPV Wrote: I'm new to the hobby, and will likely get flamed for this....but I kinda look at it like a gun permit. Anyone who's willing to follow the rules shouldn't be worried. The tidbit about not being able to incorporate into existing builds bothers me. I know you can get cellular adapters for raspberri pi and arduinos, just figured it'd be a few extra wires.

shame i just spent good money to get setup only to probably be forced to fly illegally

The reason it will be disallowed to build your own quad and just wire a "Remote ID" unit into it is because you could then easily bypass or tamper with the system. So it will only be pre-built closed source hardware and software consumer quads that have been certified by the FAA for compliance that can be flown. That is for anything over 250g. Anything below is currently exempt although that could change as well. It means no more building your own quads (legally) if the AUW will be over 249g. None of the pre-built BNF and PNP quads over 249g that you can currently just buy will be certified, so unless those companies go through the certification process then that market will also die. Nothing can run on Open Source Software like Betaflight OR INav either because it would be too easy to just change the code in order to bypass the Remote ID system.

The whole point of this hobby is building and configuring your own models. And don't forget the fixed wing guys. None of the stuff they build is under 250g, so that completely kills that part of the hobby dead unless they are happy to just potter around in an AMA approved field.

Sadly, the bottom line is that most people are going to end up flying illegally. I don't condone breaking the law, but if you are ultimately going to do that, you may also want to think twice about registering your drones with the FAA because once your name is on their database, you will forever be on their radar in the future for non-compliance of any new rules.