Anonymous

A group of industry leaders in aviation have signed the UASLetter dated November 8,2012 stating "It is our belief that for the FAA to succeed, the agency must stay focused on safety rather than privacy issues, where the FAA has no statutory standing or technical expertise." Two prominent signatories to this letter are AOPA President Craig Fuller and NBAA President Ed Bolen. Ed Bolen was quoted by the AOPA as stating " We look forward to explaining to the Court of Appeals why the government’s move to severely limit the BARR program represents an unwarranted invasion of the privacy of aircraft owners and operators, a threat to the competitiveness of U.S. companies and a potential security risk to the persons aboard aircraft." I disagree that the FAA sole focus should be on the safety and privacy of the aviation community. I believe that the FAA has to balance the unwarranted invasion of the privacy and safety of those on the ground, especially if they believe they are the sole regulator of airspace starting at 0 feet above the ground. I do not think the FAA should allow someone to park a drone above my backyard pool and sell the footage on the internet. If privacy, safety, and security of the aviator is a valid concern, as these groups attested in overturning BARR limitations, so should the privacy, safety, and security of the non aviators on the ground be a valid concern for the FAA.