New website for The Drone Legal Fund

The Drone Legal Fund is raising funds to support legal challenges to regulations and policies that are deeply concerning to users and prospective users of small unmanned aircraft.

What are some of the legal issues?

Mandatory Recreational sUAS Registration

In December 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration introduced a rule that makes it illegal (with severe penalties) to fly a drone for recreational purposes without first registering it with the government. While FAA’s intent with drone registration is to create accountability in the event of a safety incident, this rule has raised a number of legal concerns, particularly:

• FAA’s haste to implement the rule, circumventing requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.
• FAA’s violation of Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which prohibits the FAA from promulgating rules regarding “model aircraft” (drones used for recreational purposes).

In response to the registration rule, John A. Taylor, a drone builder and also fellow member of the DC Area Drone User Group, filed a lawsuit challenging the FAA registry. See this news story (with video) or this more detailed story for more about the legal challenge.

The 30-mile No-Drone-Zone

In September 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration introduced the document AC91-57A which establishes a specific prohibition for flying sUAS in Special Flight Rules Areas (SFRAs) such as the Washington, DC Special Flight Rules Area, a region with about 30 mile radius centered around Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA). Thousands of operators in the DC area are affected by this, including several remote-control aircraft clubs who were asked by the FAA to temporarily cease operations in December.

As with drone registration, AC91-57A raises many legal questions about the FAA’s authority to promulgate rules that apply to model aircraft, about FAA’s violation of the Administrative Procedures Act in making rules without following public notice and comment procedures.

What will the money be used for?

The fund will be used to pursue pressing legal issues relevant to drone users. Initially, the money will be used to help reimburse John A. Taylor’s expenses and to hire additional legal help related to the registration case However, with enough support we hope to expand the scope into other relevant legal issues, such as the SFRA issue mentioned above.

The funds collected will ONLY be used for legal fees and services as described above and for NO other purpose. We will update this page with information regarding any disbursement or transfer of these funds so that you know exactly where your money’s going.

If you would like to separately make a contribution to support DC Area Drone User Group, please do so by visiting the DC DUGcontributions page.

Who administers the Drone Legal Fund?

The Drone Legal Fund is administered by the DC Area Drone User Group (DC DUG), which is organized as a registered nonstock corporation in the state of Virginia and managed by a board of directors. It is pending tax-exempt status under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.

The DC Area Drone User Group is a community organization of over 2,500 drone enthusiasts, makers, engineers, scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs in the greater Washington DC Area. Our mission is to promote the safe and responsible use of small unmanned systems, and to educate the public about the positive role these devices can serve in our society – from personal enjoyment, to learning robotics, to saving lives in industrial applications. You can learn more about our mission atdcdrone.org. DC DUG is a member organization of the Drone User Group Network, an association of community organizations that promote the use of civilian drone technology for the benefit of humanity.

What happened to the fundraiser posted on Generosity.com?

The site was relocated to improve our ability to provide updates, expand the scope of the fundraiser, and allow for the ability to accept PayPal donations. The donations collected from the previous Generosity.com campaign are still part of the Drone Legal Fund in entirety.

How can I contribute?

You can contribute in a number of ways:

1. Donate – Visit our Contribute page to make a donation.
2. Post to social media – The more people who hear about us, the more likely we are to meet our target. Click on the sharing buttons below to show your support.
3. Share with your community – Call your friends, tell your co-workers, make an announcement at your organization’s event to spread the word.

http://fund.dcdrone.org/