More panic spreading

[Randy Powell]

http://news.yahoo.com/drones-coming-sky-near-interest-surges-150302837.html

[peabody]

Randy....

My conclusion is that modelers are sometimes way idiotic....
Case in point: about two months ago, Edy and I stopped at the Sarasota County RC site to see a Scale Masters qualifier....it was fairly well promoted and there were quite a few more spectators than fliers....

Something that really stood out to me was a scale model DRONE! About 10' wingspan....painted in authentic US military colors, complete with the documentation required for its class.....

The TV camera guy seemed quite interested.......no interview with the moron that built/flew it, but scads of pictures and some footage of it flying (drone like)......

I wrote the District 5 VP as well as Dave Mathewson.....that's exactly the kind of press that model aviation doesn't need...and it would be simple enough to amend the Scale rules to say "only MANNED aircraft"....

I received no reply...

If the RC types are stupid enough to fly into the Goodyear blimp (no more flying of any type at the Meadowlands), then we are all in jeopardy.

[Dan McEntee]

  I don't know for sure, but isn't there a rule stating "manned aircraft only" already?? I don't think a scale UAV will score every well in a scale contest. Not much detail in the airframes, and they really can't do anything other than fly straight and level, so not much flight score. That is a UAV's mission, fly to the target, stay nice and steady and take good pictures. Not very glamorous.
    Dan McEntee

[Randy Powell]

I can't believe this is happening, but I actually agree with Peabody (I know, a once in a lifetime occurrence). Bad enough that the uninformed are making decisions, but I hate to see moron fliers aiding and abetting them.

[Brett Buck]

I can't believe this is happening, but I actually agree with Peabody (I know, a once in a lifetime occurrence). Bad enough that the uninformed are making decisions, but I hate to see moron fliers aiding and abetting them.

   As I mentioned before, we (AMA) have been our own worst enemies on this thing for years. Ever bigger and ever faster models, driven by ego and monetary gain, with ever-less-skilled pilots or requirements. Any yo-yo with enough cash can go buy a chainsaw-engine 1/3 scale airplane and try to fly it in any park, with absolutely *no* qualifications. It's absolutely amazing how few people have gotten killed doing it, but the odds have to catch up with us eventually. We have caused this situation, and either we will correct it, or it will get corrected for us.

  I say *we* repeatedly because the AMA is *our* organization and we are the ones that set the direction. We (AMA members), not we (CL Stunt fliers). Ultimately we (AMA members) are responsible.

   I don't think the "terrorist" bit is of any interest or concern as a real problem, but it's an awfully good excuse, that will be used repeatedly until we clean up our own act. 

    Brett

[Randy Cuberly]

Brett,
I totally agree with you.  I also doubt that the AMA or the "Hobby" industry will do any thing about it.  All they seem to be interested in is the steady cash flow from the R/C community.
Bigger more sophisticated stuff brings bigger cash into both.

Randy Cuberly

[Chris McMillin]

I think you guys ought to re-read all of your posts. You guys are saying that more legislation and licensing is what will make us safer, right? Protect us from the bad modelers?
OK, now tell me about your firearms.
Get a life, guys!
Chris...

[Brett Buck]

I think you guys ought to re-read all of your posts. You guys are saying that more legislation and licensing is what will make us safer, right? Protect us from the bad modelers?
OK, now tell me about your firearms.
Get a life, guys!
Chris...

  That's not what *I* am saying. That won't solve anything. What I am saying is that we (AMA) have been acting irresponsibly about indulging various people, with the effect of waving a red flag at a bull. We claim we police ourselves, so we don't need any external regulations. Then we don't police ourselves in any reasonable way. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed that.

   Brett

[peabody]

I see no mention of the AMA here:
http://www.robotshop.com/unmanned-aerial-vehicles-uav.html

[Chris McMillin]

  That's not what *I* am saying. That won't solve anything. What I am saying is that we (AMA) have been acting irresponsibly about indulging various people, with the effect of waving a red flag at a bull. We claim we police ourselves, so we don't need any external regulations. Then we don't police ourselves in any reasonable way. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed that.

   Brett

But whom is it we shall police? A guy flying a Scale Drone model at a contest? Guys flying Spy Shop foamies at a park? Which ones? Who shall do the policing?
That's my question.

Chris...

[Sean McEntee]

        I believe the rules do state that the subject of a scale model does have to be "man-carrying".  Can you imagine how boring that would be to judge a scale model of a Shadow, Grey Eagle, or Reaper??  "This guy has been loitering (flying in a circle) for an hour!  Oh wait...hes flying straight and level now!!"

        There was a thread, dare I mention it, about UAVs and infringement on personal privacy.  I really think that is the limit of the concern.  There is no way that someone could drive into downtown DC or some such place, launch a FMV-equiped model, collect ISR, land it and get out without someone noticing.

[dale gleason]

Don't ever underestimate an enemy. Ever.
dg

[Mike Gretz]

For the record, both the CL and RC Scale rules require the model to be of a "man carrying" aircraft.  Unfortunately, in this case the Scalemasters has always seemed to pride itself in using their own rules, not AMA rules. 

So the question, in this case, becomes ... was this an AMA sanctioned event, and if so, should it have been?

Mike Gretz
Chairman
AMA Scale Contest Board

[Douglas Ames]

I see no mention of the AMA here:
http://www.robotshop.com/unmanned-aerial-vehicles-uav.html

Unfortunately, "UAV" and "R/C model" are being considered two different classifications by the emerging UAV industry. I think that's what the jist of the current proposals are, to prevent BUYING a spy UAV without being culpable for your actions. The News media and Govt. look at the R/C hobby as a possible threat since the spy/ illicit payload technology can easily be applied to either. The Press is ignorant on the subject and continues to publish sensationalist editorials with no research, hence our hobby being thrown under the bus. As Control-liners it probably won't affect us but it will directly affect the Giant Scale R/C'ers.