John Fester
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Flight distance : 184984 ft
United States
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I have lived in O-town (Orlando) for decades and just found out about this law today. I was not aware of the ordinance and am shocked to have discovered it. So you are reading this post as my reaction to having found out just now.
I fly drones a lot, was just about to head out the door to Apopka Wildlife Drive, plenty outside of Orlando to not be affected by the law. I am on vacation this week, so have been itching to get in the sky. Well that place is closed today...so scratch that, jumped online to find a new alternate place I have not yet been to. Landed upon an article about this ordinance, did a search and found this article.
I am displeased with this notion of being made a guinea pig to test a new idea of this law. Where was the communication to the locals, the community and the people? None. I was not even aware until now...so fail on their part there. These are our elected officials imposing the rules we vote and agree on, no where was there an opportunity to voice my objections to the matter. So in this regard - poorly handled.
I'm a little surprised actually that anyone has been able to fly in downtown Orlando, and I have a few friends that have gotten away with it. Mainly because that's what it took already...getting away with it. There were already several restrictions and hoops to jump through to legally fly downtown, which is surrounded by landed pads and executive airports - all of which you'd need permission to fly within their 5 mile radius. Plus it is so heavily populated that some have been cited due to flying over heavily populated gathering places...however I thought that law only applied to things like concerts, sport games, etc., not hundreds of people walking the streets. I've never tried flying downtown, because it is simply too dangerous and too much work to do it legally.
However, Orlando is large...very large...and this affected me where I live, and technically it is not Orlando. I live in Altamonte Springs, a township connected to Orlando, as many others do, and has become one giant city. But under own own city officials, officers and voting system, so are separate from Orlando...but not in this regard. This ordinance was applied to all townships surrounding Orlando, and that is a massive area. It eliminated about 3 of my preferred fly areas, unless I pay for something I own already...by rights of being a United States Citizen, we the people own this airspace. The government works for us, yet they are making us pay to use what is ours??
I get filing a flight plan, or getting an override number...all of which best be issued upon request without any resistance or delays. But to pay for it??? Dangit...they work for us! We pay them! They charge us for what is ours?? That's where I get annoyed. Very annoyed.
Anyways - I'm all about not flying around huge buildings, although it produces amazing video. But that should be restricted to the professional flyer, not the newbie. And having heavy restrictions is a certain way of deterring wannabe city pilots. But it should have been applied to the downtown area only, and not all the surrounding miles of flat land with not a building over 3 stories around. This is our land...I should not need their permission or to pay for it.
This was my rant over this. I'm bitter about it and will be finding out what I can do to fight to change this, to at least reduce the area to downtown only!
John |
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