RCfanfromNC
Junior Member
Greetings to all. I am new to Flitetest forum. Flitetest is certainly a great group promoting the RC hobby- Kudos to Chad, Josh, Josh, Alex and the rest of the staff.
I do, however, bear some bad news: the North Carolina General Assembly has proposed anti-UAV legislation which could have a chilling effect on the FPV and aerial photography aspect of the hobby in the Tarheel State: House Bill 1099; Please see the link here:
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2013/Bills/House/HTML/H1099v2.html
This bill has passed the second reading in the N.C. House, 113 to 0, and is now in committee in the N.C. Senate. A close reading of the bill demonstrates that it would potentially criminalize innocent FPV conduct under the aegis of prohibiting "surveillance" of a person's dwelling or the curtilage- essentially any overflight near a populated area or near a house would potentially incur a Class 1 misdemeanor, particularly if one wanted to "publish" the photo or video by electronic means or otherwise. Simply taking a photo of an individual with an FPV aircraft without their consent could also be potentially criminal.
Do take note, however, that "Edition 2" of the bill provides for an exception for "model aircraft" which appears quite generous to the hobby. This, however, is not the final edition of the bill, and the original sponsor, Rep. John Torbett (R- Gaston Co.), did not include this language in the bill as submitted. At the same rate, no parallel bill has been introduced in N.C. Senate, so the the language as proposed in Edition 2 is currently in play. The bill forbids, however, any FPV use for any compensation whatsoever.
North Carolina is a beautiful state with mountains, beaches, and various other scenic wonders- this new law could curtail FPV/Aerial Photography of the natural resources of NC, as well as stymie technological growth and exploration. If this bill becomes law, it will make it a "video-at-your-own-risk" situation.
If you live in North Carolina (or perhaps even outside of NC), you may let your voice be heard by contacting your State Representative or State Senator at the N.C. General Assembly.
http://www.ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx
I do, however, bear some bad news: the North Carolina General Assembly has proposed anti-UAV legislation which could have a chilling effect on the FPV and aerial photography aspect of the hobby in the Tarheel State: House Bill 1099; Please see the link here:
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2013/Bills/House/HTML/H1099v2.html
This bill has passed the second reading in the N.C. House, 113 to 0, and is now in committee in the N.C. Senate. A close reading of the bill demonstrates that it would potentially criminalize innocent FPV conduct under the aegis of prohibiting "surveillance" of a person's dwelling or the curtilage- essentially any overflight near a populated area or near a house would potentially incur a Class 1 misdemeanor, particularly if one wanted to "publish" the photo or video by electronic means or otherwise. Simply taking a photo of an individual with an FPV aircraft without their consent could also be potentially criminal.
Do take note, however, that "Edition 2" of the bill provides for an exception for "model aircraft" which appears quite generous to the hobby. This, however, is not the final edition of the bill, and the original sponsor, Rep. John Torbett (R- Gaston Co.), did not include this language in the bill as submitted. At the same rate, no parallel bill has been introduced in N.C. Senate, so the the language as proposed in Edition 2 is currently in play. The bill forbids, however, any FPV use for any compensation whatsoever.
North Carolina is a beautiful state with mountains, beaches, and various other scenic wonders- this new law could curtail FPV/Aerial Photography of the natural resources of NC, as well as stymie technological growth and exploration. If this bill becomes law, it will make it a "video-at-your-own-risk" situation.
If you live in North Carolina (or perhaps even outside of NC), you may let your voice be heard by contacting your State Representative or State Senator at the N.C. General Assembly.
http://www.ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx
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