Hobby drones, like the tiny one that sailed over the crowds at Lollapalooza last month and caused something of a stir, are soaring in popularity. But folks like suburbanite Fabio Brancati, 34, of Aurora, say the Federal Aviation Administration is putting a damper on his fun.
In June, the federal agency issued a directive, which means Bracanti can no longer watch-through specialty first-person view goggles - real-time footage captured by the camera attached to his drone as it flies over suburban fields and farms. Instead, the rules dictate, he'll have to keep an eye on the 1-pound aircraft as it maneuvers through the sky.
It's a restriction, Brancati says, on a hobby that has largely gone unregulated. His fleet of 12 drones ranges from 1 pound to 25 pounds and have cost him between $600 for a smaller model and $25,000 for a larger custom model.
"I was frustrated," he said of his reaction to no longer being able to use the goggles for flight, adding that he feels it has limited some of the flights he's able to take with his aircraft. "They decided to block everyone."
On June 23, the FAA issued a set of requirements that define hobby flight of model aircraft and spells out the rules of the skies. While the FAA says it's simply clarifying existing rules, hobbyists worry that the restriction on first-person view flights - as well as strict limits on what is considered commercial or business use of drones - may pave the way for further regulation.
But the recent directive issued by the agency has some in the growing recreational drone community worried that further regulation of the hobby could be possible. The June directive - which aviation officials say is an interpretation of 2012 legislation titled Special Rule for Model Aircraft -- was issued after several incidents the FAA deemed "careless and reckless." The directive also has been challenged in three separate lawsuits by groups who operate unmanned aircraft, which challenge the definition of "hobby" operation of drones.
"If they are operating safely, properly and all rules are adhered to, we don't think it poses a danger to the airspace or the general public," said Ryan Twose, 39, of Deerfield and the organizer and founder of the Chicago Area Drone User Group. Twose said the group's meetings - which are becoming increasingly popular -- are as much about discussing policy and safety as they are flying the unmanned aircraft through obstacle courses and tinkering with the devices.
Founded in January, the group already has more than 110 members, and is "well on it's way" to reaching 200 by the end of the year.
"I think this is a real change of position," Twose said of the ruling. "It's alarming to our group, which is by and large hobbyist based. This might hinder or inhibit that part of the hobby for a lot of folks that want to contribute."
According to the FAA, those flying for hobby or recreation do not require approval, but operators must follow a set of safety guidelines that have been in place for model aircraft for decades. These include flying below 400 feet; weighing less than 55 pounds; avoiding parks, schools, hospitals and churches; and keeping sufficient distances from crowded areas.
Those rules landed a drone operator, who sent his tiny aircraft over the crowds at Lollapalooza in Grant Park, in the sights of the FAA. The publicity over the images he captured prompted an FAA review and later a lecture about the danger of flying over crowds.
Despite being aware of all the FAA's guidelines, photographer and drone hobbyist Rob Sall said he believes his flights over Chicago - one of which recorded flyover video over the busy Northalsted Market Days in mid-August - are safe.
"I'm not super worried about it," Sall said. "If it were an untested device I built myself, I wouldn't do it."
Sall said he is aware of incidents like the Lollapalooza flight that drew FAA attention, but he believes he isn't putting anyone in danger.
North Halsted Market Days Chicago 2014 on DJI Phantom 2 with GoPro Hero 3 from Rob Sall on Vimeo.
"It's the risk you take, but if you're responsible about it, you can show them that," he said. "I'm not going to do anything stupid with it. I was comfortable doing it, I've been flying it, I'm used to flying it."
Some on the ground are uneasy, however. Marco Fidenza, 51, of Jefferson Park, said he spotted a drone July 4 at the Dave Matthews Band concert at Northerly Island. It flew over the grandstands, hovered, did a 360-degree spin, did another 180-degree turn and flew off, he said.
"It was almost hovering over us, in the middle of this throng of 25,000 people," he said. "What struck me was if that thing failed, if it came down, it would have hurt somebody. These things, over a large venue like that? I don't think that's responsible."
The FAA also maintains that things can go wrong when hobbyists take to the skies with drones, particularly when they aren't aware of the rules. In August of last year, a drone crashed into the stands of West Virginia's Great Bull Run, causing minor injuries to five people, according to the Washington Post. In another instance, a 3-pound drone crash landed after hitting a building in Manhattan last October, hitting the ground near pedestrians at Grand Central Station, according to the New York Post.
"When we become aware of an operation that could conceivably become a hazard for other aircraft or other people on the ground, (we investigate)," said Les Dorr, a spokesperson for the FAA. Some of the investigations lead to contacting the operator and informing them of safety guidelines. In other cases, it is possible for the FAA to fine individuals. Dorr stressed that the recently released interpretation is simply their understanding of already existing legislation, and no new regulations are currently planned.
"This is our interpretation of what we think it means," he said. "It's not like we're making new rules." For now, Brancati said that while it's frustrating, he believes with safe-operation and the right education to drone users in the community, the FAA will come around and possibly lift the FPV restrictions. "I do feel limited, but I also have hope in the FAA," he said. "I know it's temporary."
Still, Twose said the FAA's interpretation is "absolutely" a concern for the drone community, and he fears more regulation may be down the line. He said the group will continue to focus on education and spreading a message of safe operation, even if some operating recklessly bring negative attention.
"We're not there to police every single operator," he said. "We know there might be a few bad actors."