GAO Report - Remote ID Needs Improvement

GAO Report - Remote ID Needs Improvement
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on June 6, 2024 discussing the Federal Aviation Administration's rule on remote identification for drones and other unmanned aircraft.
The GAO investigation found that there is a time lag, up to 48 hours, from when a drone is sighted and law enforcement agencies can get information on who the pilot is of that drone. This is considered too long for safety issues, where authorities need to know soonest who is flying the drone.
The GAO cannot direct anyone to do anything. Rather, it is an audit agency that prepares a report, asking that the FAA conduct an investigation to remote ID and see if things like a networked system would provide quicker identification results. Commercial drone operators are advocating a networked remote ID approach.
The 2024 FAA Reauthorization act has language directing the FAA to investigate a network remote ID system.
We do not know yet the outcome of this language. For now, the FAA will investigate and produce a report on next actions, due in six months, or December of 2024.
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Passage of FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024
02:46 - What is the Government Accountability Office?
06:44 - Recap of remote ID
10:55 - Reasons for the GAO investigation of remote ID
14:15 - Lack of real time ID of drones
17:27 - Background security issues regarding drones
20:12 - FAA 2024 bill on recreational drones
24:30 - Way head for remote ID

[@dhoffman6435]

Thank you for your review of the new regs. The one area that I'm most concerned about is FRIA access and having access to a LOW COST or NO COST FRIA location for recreational flying. I understand the need for FRIA locations and I belong to a local FRIA AMA club because it's one of my dedicated hobbies. However, in addition to fee based AMA club fields that require membership, there should be fee free non club FRIA locations established where an individual or a family can fly for the occasional afternoon of fun.

[@TimMcKay56]

Fully agree! Tim

[@lienmeat]

I'm not defending the idea of FRIAs, because I think it's fundamentally a stupid idea when we already have restricted airspace and the like (blacklist vs whitelist, when the potential total whitelisted area/s is a billion times bigger/more numerous). However, there have now been FRIAs established on the properties of non-clubs recently (Joshua Bardwell being one example, but there are now many others), so maybe the FRIA access issue isn't going to be as big of a problem as we expect (but yeah, still a problem I'm sure). If I had a property big enough to fly in, I would seriously consider applying for a FRIA, probably via help from the FTCA if they do that for average hobbyists (Flite Test Community Association).

[@freddings4568]

Good luck with that.

[@thomasnewton9818]

Didn't need a crystal ball to see this happening.

[@TimMcKay56]

Roger. But forewarned is forearmed. Gotta stay involved with the FAA and any next steps that are taken. Tim

[@weseehowcommiegoogleis3770]

@@TimMcKay56 That's kinda Laughable when dealing with our OverLords.

[@Luckless_Pedestrian]

Great review Tim... appreciate your work... Thanks. However my opinion on remote ID has not changed. While I think there is definitely a need for it in the commercial drone space as the areas they typically operate in, and how they are operated must be controlled to avoid potential disasters, to apply RID to traditional, recreational, line-of-sight, fixed wing craft is just silly. Fixed wing and drones need to be treated separately as they are typically used differently... and commercial and recreational must also be treated separately. I've been doing this for 50+ years, and these days all my craft are "park flyer" class... of a lb or less. Most of the time I fly in a field adjacent to my semi-rural home or off the water at my lake house. It's rare that I ever exceed 250 ft altitude or more than 100 yards distance... so to have to equip my planes with something as sophisticated as is being discussed is mindless to say the least. Some sanity needs to be applied here... Until that time, I'm one that will just be ignoring RID.

[@TimMcKay56]

Copy all. The main thing all modelers need to do is ensure we stay our of controlled and restricted (TFR, etc.) airspace. If we can demonstrate these basic tasks, will help the community immeasurably. Tim

[@johngriecosr8723]

Thanks for the update. I kinda figured that.

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks for checking in! Tim

[@Tammy-un3ql]

Great idea,

[@TimMcKay56]

👍🏻😊

[@ghettorecording2925]

oldguyFPV; Remote ID? My quad has a right to remain silent! Anything that it says or does, can and will be used against me in a court of law!

[@TimMcKay56]

Got that right! Tim

[@Nogill0]

The rules and regulations are understandable, in a way, but anyone who plans to use a drone to bring down an airliner, dust a city with some toxic substance, etc. isn't going to worry about remote ID or any other compliance. In theory one could build a drone in one's garage that would do massive damage to an oil refinery (as an example). Remote ID won't do anything to stop that kind of activity. The cat is out of the bag. I'm reminded of a science fiction story I read many years ago: a smart guy living out west on a ranch managed to build a hand-held disintegrator beam with readily available materials. He figured it would be good for clearing brush. He made dozens and gave away hundreds of plans. And before long there were rumors about these things that attracted the FBI and there was a congressional investigation. They were going to write up legislation to outlaw the devices but someone explained that is was too late-- most of the people living for miles around the ranch were walking around with home-made disintegrator guns in their holsters that could vaporize a Sherman tank. End of story.

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks for this update! Tim

[@reighmund284]

They put a background check in place for truck drivers who will be hauling hazmat to keep terrorists away from getting a truck load of dangerous cargo. So all that effort and a person or group with bad intention can jump a trucker and take the truck any day of the week. mission not accomplished!

[@imikewillrockyou]

I've really enjoyed all the amazing drone footage here in KZbin. I sure hope all these regulations don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[@TimMcKay56]

You and me both!

[@johnw5734]

Thank you for posting these videos, Tim. I appreciate the heads up on stuff headed our way. I suppose we could register a flight plan on-line. What we plan to fly, where and when. I hope FRIA only flying is not our future.

[@TimMcKay56]

Interesting days ahead! Tim

[@johngriecosr8723]

Tim thanks for the update. How many pilots do you know including yourself have their RID? I ordered mine in late August early September on pre-order along with a receiver. I have yet to receive the RID. Ordered from Horizon Hobby.

[@TimMcKay56]

John: I did the exact same thing with Horizon. Never came, card not charged. I think with various delays, it just fell through the cracks. My club has a FRIA, but I will purchase the Flite Test RID module shortly. Tim

[@RebelByNature]

I'm a little unclear why I am hearing so much about fixed wing flyers buying, or trying to, rid modules. I would have assumed that in the vast majority of cases, this kind of flying would be occurring at a club field/FRIA. Not so or is it a FRIA approval issue?

[@reighmund284]

@@RebelByNature There are not that many FRIA flying areas around. The nearest one to me is 50 miles away! Not many clubs around anymore and I live in a state with a whole lot more than others. Even when you live in an area with a very good size club you will rarely have company at the flight field except during big events. Most flyers go to a rarely used soccer complex, baseball field, large park or even you buddies 5 acre ranchette. unless you are flying a micro plane you would have to be using RID or you are now asking for trouble. RC drones, helicopters, small park foam airplanes have exploded in use because you dont have to go to the RC field.

[@Shadeaflame]

Commercial operations should be treated in a different manner then standard operations. regulating consumer drones is illogical as building a custom drone is easy to do that would bypass RID and any future permutation of RID further incentivizing individuals to break laws due to unreasonably high cost on RID systems due to lack of government regulation on mandated components

[@TimMcKay56]

Commercial folks have always been treated differently (think airline pilots vs. general aviation). Key thing is to stay involved and ensure recreational flyers obtain what they need (like FRIAs). Tim

[@jeffreyrh]

Do you know how they came up with the 250g limit?

[@TimMcKay56]

Just a decision on a weight and size that would likely cause minimal damage during a collision. Tim

[@sullytrny]

adsb? my cube has the rx, I think we need low cost transponders

[@TimMcKay56]

Well, that should make folks happy. 😳

[@sullytrny]

@@TimMcKay56 It's a mess, but for a younger man there is great opportunity

[@MrGaborseres]

👍

[@TimMcKay56]

Thanks.

[@berndm9743]

Sounds to me, a non 107 flyer, to be forced to buy ANOTHER RID device besides the $100 I already spent on the one I have to be legal NOW. 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

[@TimMcKay56]

I really do not think so . . . this will be a years-long effort. Tim

[@lifelongpatriot3695]

im sure my opinion is very unpopular on this but if people acted responsibly in a lot of things this kind of stuff may not be an issue. There are always the few that ruin it for the majority. I dont like govt overeach either (especially regarding guns) but in this case they have been given an excuse to get involved. Im all for freedom except for the freedom to act in a irresponsible manner. I have read about the near misses, flying over sensitive areas etc. It seems to be mainly quadcopters and the like.Not so much fixed wing. So it kinda pisses me off that a few jerks over the years acting like idiots has brought us to this point. I saw a quadcopter once when I was a passenger on an inbound flight to LAX. We were about 200 feet up at that point,look out the window and see a quadcopter maybe 250 feet away. It pissed me off. My life as well as everyone elses depended on that idiot quadcopter pilot to stay out of the way.

[@TimMcKay56]

Good points! Tim

[@RebelByNature]

You must have eagle eyes.

[@reighmund284]

sure you can blame the drones but if you go back to just after 9/11 you will see plenty of news stories where all the news outlets were scaremongering that RC planes could be used by terrorists. Congress got wind of it and as usual jumped in to not fix the problem. All the regulation of the law abiding people never stops the evil minded person.

[@KeithSilva2]

This is all being driven by the commercial operators. It's going to be culture shock (already is) when these entrepreneurs have to deal with the conservative FAA. GAO is powerless and FAA knows that. We need to ensure that the hobbyists don't get drawn into an expensive commercial system. Hobbyists need to stay far away from football games and other crowded events. All it takes is a couple of bad incidents for FAA to justify regulating hobbyists in ways we won't like.

[@TimMcKay56]

Great idea, comply with the regulations! Tim

[@Invid72]

This whole regulation push is silly. Someone intent on doing misdeeds will not run RemoteID. It's only going to be effective against the ill-informed purchasers of drones at Best Buy and the like. Recognized hobbyists and custom built drone/airplane should be exempt.

[@TimMcKay56]

We’ll see. 🤔 Tim