FAA-UAV registration-here we go again?

[Dave_Trible]

I just opened an email of the meeting minutes of a local RC club to which I belong because they share their field with us to fly.  There was a reminder to members that congress passed and the President signed a new law that reinstated the registration requirements (that I thought were put to bed last year in the FAA Reauthorization Act) but now making violation a breech of federal law and not just FAA directives.  Sure need to look into this one........

Dave

[Avaiojet]

I just opened an email of the meeting minutes of a local RC club to which I belong because they share their field with us to fly.  There was a reminder to members that congress passed and the President signed a new law that reinstated the registration requirements (that I thought were put to bed last year in the FAA Reauthorization Act) but now making violation a breech of federal law and not just FAA directives.  Sure need to look into this one........

Dave

What do you think it's all about?

[Dave_Trible]

I don’t know.  We had a negotiated carve out for our model airplanes in the previous agreement.  I wonder if does away with that?  I might think local authorities could believe so.  Just another can of worms.

Dave

[Jim Mynes]

I responded to the AMA email with a question.  The answer is: CL is considered "manned" aircraft and is EXEMPT from the directive.
Thus if one flies CL, no problem.

I’d like to see that, in writing, from the FAA. But I suspect we are such a small slice of the community that they can’t be bothered to consider an exception for control line.

[howard shenton]

Here are some responses by AMA regarding registration.
AMA Website Federal Response Section: http://www.modelaircraft.org/aboutama/faa-uas-faq.aspx

Q: How do I register?
A: You can register at https://registermyuas.faa.gov. If you need assistance, please call 877 396 4636.

Q: Do only drones and multirotor operators need to register?
A: Anyone who flies a model that can freely navigate in the air and uses a remote control device (e.g. RC transmitter) is required to register. This includes drones, traditional fixed wing model aircraft, model helicopters, and other remote controlled model aircraft. If you exclusively fly models under .55 pounds, indoors, control line, or free flight models - you do not need to register.

Q: I only fly CL, FF, or indoors - do I need to register?
A: No. If you exclusively fly indoors, FF, or CL you do not need to register.

There are many other questions answered but these cover the control line requirements.

[peabody]

My belief is that all airmodelers should register......the Feds in black Suburbans and sun glasses might not know the difference.....and arguing with them frequently leads to unpleasant things happening.
It's too easy to register .....

Have fun

[Dave_Trible]

Good info.  I only wonder if this came from before or after this new law?

Dave

[Jim Kraft]

I think it was Ronald Reagan who said, "Hi, I am from the federal government and I am here to help you". Grab your wallet and run. The feds are here to take freedom, not give it. They want control of everything we do. And if they can't control it they tax it. OR both.

Glad I grew up when we still had a little freedom. This whole thing sucks.

[Brett Buck]

Good info.  I only wonder if this came from before or after this new law?

   After. For all I can tell, the "Special Rule For Model Aircraft" is superceded by the new law, so forget about that.

     Note that the above is from the AMA, and carries the gravitas of a warm bucket of spit. As before, we need the FAA to acknowledge that CL and FF are exempted.

     Brett

[john e. holliday]

All I know is I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing.  I didn't sign with the FAA and I'm not going to sign this time either.   How are they going to stop all those quads and RTF RC craft that will be sold this Christmas season.  In all the stores I've been to no word about signing or joining the FAA let alone the AMA.   Infact most of them never heard of the AMA.  And if I attend a CL meet and I'm told I need an FAA license I will just spectate.  If everybody would stick together this could be defeated.  But too many people will jump the gun and register.

[Target]

I agree 100%, I'll stick to playing dumb, they are.

[Terrence Durrill]

I agree 100%, I'll stick to playing dumb, they are.

              Well hell, Hillary got away with playing dumb and avoided a long stretch in a federal prison cell...........why can't we?  .......          

[peabody]

All well and good about griping and not signing up.....
However, if you are flying on a non=private (State, Federal, County, City, etc.) site you might be jeopardizing the site by not complying....sometimes, even though you are in the right, you lose.
 

[JoeJust]

I only fly indoor/out door FF and CL Carrier.  Do my profile carrier ships with 2.4 R/C controlled throttle stay in the OK box, or does the Radio controlled throttle move me into R/C designation?
Joe Just

[Steve Helmick]

NW Skyraider's El Presidente, Mike Potter, filled us in on this new law at last Tuesday's meeting. Being one of the head dudes at Clover Park Aviation Trades and a lifer at aviation, Mike keeps his ear to the ground and reads up on all the latest crap from Uncle Sugar. The WORD is that CL & FF are exempt from the registration requirement. I don't recall about the 2.4mhz throttle stuff, Joe, but you know how to contact Mike.  Steve
 

[Dennis Toth]

Maybe its time we look back at allowing the old Zetron IF type controller for throttle and cutoffs on our CL models?

Best,   DennisT

[Avaiojet]

Maybe its time we look back at allowing the old Zetron IF type controller for throttle and cutoffs on our CL models?

Best,   DennisT

Maybe they should us the term 'tethered' at every opportunity and not elaborate on anything else.

[Gary Dowler]

I think it was Ronald Reagan who said, "Hi, I am from the federal government and I am here to help you". Grab your wallet and run. The feds are here to take freedom, not give it. They want control of everything we do. And if they can't control it they tax it. OR both.

Glad I grew up when we still had a little freedom. This whole thing sucks.

Reagans quote was "The most dangerous words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help".  He was not speaking favorably of government "help".

[Randy Cuberly]

              Well hell, Hillary got away with playing dumb and avoided a long stretch in a federal prison cell...........why can't we?  .......          

Remember!
It ain't over till the FAT Lady sings!  It ain't over yet!

There are worse things than prison!

Hell awaits for some!

Randy Cuberly

[George Albo]

I think it was Ronald Reagan who said, "Hi, I am from the federal government and I am here to help you". Grab your wallet and run. The feds are here to take freedom, not give it. They want control of everything we do. And if they can't control it they tax it. OR both.

Glad I grew up when we still had a little freedom. This whole thing sucks.

What the Gipper said was, the last thing you want to hear is, "Hi, I am from the federal government and I am here to help." I agree with you, our freedoms have been curtailed and eroded to the point I don't recognize my country sometimes.

[john e. holliday]

The thought just hit me while posting on another forum that if we have to register with tha FAA, doesn't that mean we have to file a flight plan every time we put a plane up.  You think they would get tired of a half dozen or more flight plans from this old man.  Just think if all modelers would do that they might forget the modelers and do after the aviators that count.   

Just think Brodak has a so called fun fly each year.  Can you imagine an FAA official getting all those flight plans for each and every flight that week as well as the nationals while they are going on.   Or do the real pilots of Pipers, Cessna and other private planes fly without a flight plan?

[Brett Buck]

Maybe they should us the term 'tethered' at every opportunity and not elaborate on anything else.

    That would be a huge mistake that guarantees we fall under the regulation, because "tethered drones" are definitely part of the regulations. "Tethered drone" actually means a drone where the radio link is replaced by a trailing wire. Now of course that's not really what we are doing, but if your start conflating the two, you guarantee that we fall under the law.

     Note that you also don't want to use the assertion above, i.e. "it's a manned aircraft", for reasons that should be all too obvious. Unless you think that Brodak happens to have an FAA Type Certificate for the Oriental ARF.

      Brett

[Brett Buck]

  Or do the real pilots of Pipers, Cessna and other private planes fly without a flight plan?

   You can certainly fly without a flight plan.

     Brett

[Target]

    That would be a huge mistake that guarantees we fall under the regulation, because "tethered drones" are definitely part of the regulations. "Tethered drone" actually means a drone where the radio link is replaced by a trailing wire. Now of course that's not really what we are doing, but if your start conflating the two, you guarantee that we fall under the law.

     Note that you also don't want to use the assertion above, i.e. "it's a manned aircraft", for reasons that should be all too obvious. Unless you think that Brodak happens to have an FAA Type Certificate for the Oriental ARF.

      Brett

It's sad that we have to concern ourselves with the stupidity of all these organizations that are here to "keep us safe".
I agree that what you state above could and has, and is likely to happen, but you and i know that it should never happen in the first place.
If the country wasn't so flippin worried about being politically correct, they would just hammer the multi-rotor FPV fliers,  AS THEY SHOULD BE. The rest of the modeling body, FF, CL, RC Sailplanes, RC fixed wing,  RC sport heli's, could all go back to doing what they have been safely BEFORE multi-rotors existed.
Anyone with a little common sense can see where the problem lies.

[Brett Buck]

It's sad that we have to concern ourselves with the stupidity of all these organizations that are here to "keep us safe".
I agree that what you state above could and has, and is likely to happen, but you and i know that it should never happen in the first place.
If the country wasn't so flippin worried about being politically correct, they would just hammer the multi-rotor FPV fliers,  AS THEY SHOULD BE. The rest of the modeling body, FF, CL, RC Sailplanes, RC fixed wing,  RC sport heli's, could all go back to doing what they have been safely BEFORE multi-rotors existed.
Anyone with a little common sense can see where the problem lies.

   Well, it's arguable, but the one organization that *should* know better is at the vanguard of muddling the distinction between drones and model aircraft - the AMA. The represent themselves as the voice of aeromodelling to the US Government, and they not only have failed to draw the critical distinction, then jumped into a "merge" with both feet, and are proud of it.

     To be honest, you don't expect large government organization to understand the situation, but when your own organization purports to represent you and then proceeds to willfully f*ck everything up in the worst possible way, and refuses to try to even address the flaws, that's on them. When Chad Budreau flat-out refused to address the issue of CL or FF with the government and then suggest that maybe being a "squeaky wheel" might back fire on us (me and several other people who wanted that done explicitly), basically threatening us to shut up, that is 100% their flaw and we are going to get screwed if the topic ever comes up officially. This was back when their blog still permitted comments - which they shut down when it didn't go the way they hoped.

   EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE, on the AMA "Government Relations" team, should be fired for cause and the people who chose them voted out of office.

    Brett

[John Rist]

Ty sent me the following AMA link:  http://www.modelaircraft.org/aboutama/faa-uas-faq.aspx   If you go to the QA section it states that Control Line aircraft do not have to register.  I fly some RC so it don't matter to me one way or another.  I am already registered.   

[Brett Buck]

Ty sent me the following AMA link:  http://www.modelaircraft.org/aboutama/faa-uas-faq.aspx   If you go to the QA section it states that Control Line aircraft do not have to register.  \

   Right, that's what the AMA says. They say a lot of things, but they have no authority whatsoever.

     I would be very interested to see where anything from the FAA (written or stated) or the law itself supports that.

     Brett

[Target]

I totally agree Brett that the AMA hasn't done the job of representing our interests properly. They seem to be going towards the group of flyers that supports them in the lowest percentage of their numbers.
Not sure what can be done now, but I'll never verbally state that i expect idiocracy and to be screwed over, because it sounds like I'm ok with it, which i am not.
I hold people in positions to have responsibility, not power, and to behave like it. I'll keep on questioning those folks to my last breath; if they aren't expected to step up, what possible motivation will they ever have to do the right thing?

[Terrence Durrill]

All well and good about griping and not signing up.....
However, if you are flying on a non=private (State, Federal, County, City, etc.) site you might be jeopardizing the site by not complying....sometimes, even though you are in the right, you lose.

       Hey Peabody, that's what big government does for you.  It ruins everything it gets control of.  By the way, if you didn't know, the Democrat Party is the party of government.......BIG GOVERNMENT.        

[Brett Buck]

       Hey Peabody, that's what big government does for you.  It ruins everything it gets control of.  By the way, if you didn't know, the Democrat Party is the party of government.......BIG GOVERNMENT.        

     Unfortunately for the republic, so are the Republican establishment players in Washington - in fact, they are damn near indistinguishable.

     Brett

[Steve Thompson]

"Gee officer, registering a toy airplane?  That just sounds silly."

But it is so easy to just comply and be on the government's list.  Yup, so easy to just give up freedom.  What purpose does this registration serve?

Stupid laws that serve no real purpose and are ignored by a majority weaken our nation and are a form of Tyranny.

[Bruce Perry]

I can hardly wait to try and cross the border with an airplane! 

While I'm sure the wall will be well protected by conscientious employees ensuring nerdowells are thwarted at the earliest opportunity, I'm not sure explaining innocence is the best use of my holiday time and $$.

However, I'm hopeful to see many of my brethren at the annual Prairie Fire contest in Sept at the field of Dreams in Edmonton.  Model airplane registration isn't (currently) necessary here....and you're all welcome!!

Bruce