The thing is, there is a huge spectrum of people that fit somewhere on the scale of extremely risk averse to extremely risky. Unfortunately this technology is readily available to all of them, meaning many will give the industry a bad name. My issue with the SFOC is as follows: people operating drones for commercial purposes (in general) will be much more prepared, practice more, and have more in-depth knowledge into the aircraft they are flying, because their profits depend on it. This can be up for debate, but I would argue that common sense is a lot more common in these people that are looking for commercial gain through drone photography and videography.
Now, for every commercial operation out there, I would wager there are at minimum 5 'hobby' operators who require no certification, no insurance, and essentially nothing is stopping them from flying their drone straight into a massive crowd of people, at which point they will claim ignorance of failsafe methods and the potential danger the unit can cause. So, how do we handle this? Issue a blanket ban on all UAS?
I am not against a certification procedure, but I liken the SFOC to a boat operators license. In Canada you can roll up to your local Canadian Tire, take a common sense test and be granted a boat license. At that point you can take your buds out on your new wakesetter, drink a few beers and run over an unsuspecting swimmer... Whose fault is that, the operator or the certification process?
I am all for the safety of these devices and the continued learning associated with such a new technology, thus why I belong to this forum. That said, the SFOC procedure is not making drone flying any safer, it is adding an extra step and inconvenience to the segment of the drone flying population that is likely already well-aware of all safety concerns associated with their drones, and if they're not, they won't last too long in the business.
It comes down to an argument between those who have a blanket trust that the law is right and is there for our own protection, and those who believe that there are some regulations that do nothing to actually increase safety, they are just there to ensure the governments hands are clean when s*** hits the fan.
Those worst-case scenarios are extremely dire and believe me I do appreciate the consequences of such actions, but I'm sorry to say that an SFOC isn't going to decrease the likelihood of that happening.
That's my two cents. In the meantime I will continue to fly in a safe manner, away from 'built-up areas' and large crowds, and rely on my $2 mil liability insurance if any issues should arise.
