I heard some of the information that came out of the rule making committee about this time last year. The FAA has the idea that they need to control this as fast as possible, while doing what they can to slow the explosion so that it remains under constant control.

Part of me wonders if the background check (TSA Screen) is just something to weed out people who are on the fence about getting the certificate.

I do applaud some of what they're doing except for the weight classes they have assigned. The 55 lb and under is a huge range. They are making safety rules based on a contraption between the weight of a desktop computer or a toaster. I'm not sure a toaster falling on your head from 500 feet would kill you, but a computer falling from that height surely would.