[chbot] CAA and Drone movement

[Bevin Brett]

There are several RC clubs here in Chch, and I went along to a meeting they had about 6m ago with a CAA rep about this issue.  I have a couple of RC planes that I fly occasionally.

RC planes and drones are in the same/similar categories.

The CAA is dealing with requests for TAXI!!! drones, delivery drones, imaging drones, ...   They are not all the size of small birds.

They are much cheaper than aircraft, so will be significantly increasing the number of lumps of hard metal in the sky.

The cost of dealing with them is much lower than the cost of dealing with birds.

So the CAA is faced with
- increased numbers
- increased sizes
- and a regulation-is-cheap situation

It makes sense to investigate it so they can set the rules that a flying taxi service, a flying delivery service, a flying imaging service, and recreational light drones must meet to create a stable business climate for creating these expensive businesses BEFORE those businesses invest in something non-viable.

Don't you wish someone was doing the same thing for low earth orbit?

/Bevin