[AlaskaRC] FAA looking at possibly regulating model aircraft

[Marty Hall]

There must be an NPRM I missed. What's the date 
and number. I'm scanning what I have saved on my 
work computer and haven't found it yet.


At 12:23 5/13/2009, you wrote:
>Tom,
>
>    After looking at the information I found this.
>
>
>***************
>3. Model Aircraft Not Operated in Accordance with
>Accepted Set of Standards !
>3.1 Applicability !
>The following general requirements and 
>limitations apply to Model Aircraft which are not
>operated in accordance with an FAA accepted set 
>of standards, but are operated by hobbyists
>for the sole purpose of sport, recreation, and/or competition.......
>***************
>
>Above that section is the portion that referrs to the AMA, such as:
>***********
>2. Model Aircraft Operated in Accordance with
>FAA Accepted Standards
>2.1 Applicability
>Model Aircraft operations that are conducted in 
>accordance with an FAA accepted set of
>standards established and administered by a 
>community based association as discussed in
>Section 2.2, shall otherwise be exempt from the 
>requirements of any Special Federal
>Airworthiness Regulation (SFAR) that results 
>from this recommendation as long as they are
>operated by:
>• Hobbyist for thee sole purpose of sport, 
>recreation and/or competition under the
>conditions of such an FAA accepted program
>• Manufacturers which are flight testing 
>aircraft inteended to be operated for the sole
>purpose of sport, recreation, and/or competition 
>and they are tested at an approved
>field as defined by and in accordance with an FAA accepted program with the
>approval of the community-based association responsible for the location
>•¢ Educational institutions and/or students for 
>the sole purpose of education or research
>and they are operated at an approved field as 
>defined by and in accordance with an
>FAA accepted program with the approval of the community-based association
>responsible for the location
>• Manufacturers which are flight testing 
>aircraft intended to be operated for other than
>sport, recreation, and/or competition and they 
>are tested at an approved field as
>defined by and in accordance with an FAA 
>accepted program with the approval of the
>community-based association responsible for the location
>RATIONALE: Reflects FAAÂ’s concept of regulating model aviation by
>exempting Model Aircraft from regulation. Under this approach, modelers
>participating within an aeromodeling structure/organization such as the
>Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) may operate their Model Aircraft
>in accordance with an accepted set of standards and operating
>procedures. Based on a more rigorous attention to safety, risk assessment,
>and risk mitigation, the accepted standards may provide greater latitude
>in the Model Aircraft operations. Modelers not participating in the
>additional safety programming established in an accepted set of standards
>shall comply with the requirements of Section 3.
>**********
>
>Of course, this is my first look at this NPRM, 
>if it is a notice at all. From knowledge of how 
>the FAA writes things, it always says you canNOT 
>do anything unles, "A,B,C.. etc". So in my very 
>quick initial look at this, it may appear that 
>they are saying unless you operate under the 
>guise and rules of the AMA, you may not fly 
>turbines. There are some other little bits of 
>language there that reek of massive regulation 
>and red tape and unsustainable compliance that 
>may threaten all civil model airplane activity. 
>Don't be scared for turbines. No. Be scared for 
>model aviation! We do not want any of this. 
>We've seen before that rules generated, from 
>people with ZERO experience in the area they try 
>to regulate, lead to nothing but disfunctionality.
>
>I'd love to think the AMA is all over this. It 
>seems they are in some ways, with their name 
>plastered all over this. But I'm certainly
>
>
> > Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 10:24:38 -0800
> > From: president at alaskarc.org
> > To: alaskarc at lists.alaskarc.org
> > Subject: Re: [AlaskaRC] FAA looking at possibly regulating model aircraft
> >
> > On Wed, 13 May 2009 10:02:07 -0800
> > Marty Hall <mjhall at alaskarcs.com> wrote:
> >
> > > The last time this came up it was because of a model scaring a flight
> > > crew of a 727 going into JFK. The FAA at that time told the AMA they
> > > had the power to regulate RC but chose not to at that time because of
> > > the problems associated in attempting to, but if "we" didn't clean up
> > > our act, they would. That's the root of certain AMA safety rules
> > > concerning flying near airports, etc. In those days there was no
> > > where near the number of UAV's flying as there is today, and the
> > > FAA's problem today has changed. It would be difficult for them (the
> > > FAA) to tell one group (the military) flying an "RC" of one type with
> > > a 3 foot wing span that there was strict rules to comply with, and
> > > tell the other group (us) with a like size "RC" there's no
> > > regulation. We DO need to watch this.
> >
> > >From what I've read, you're exactly right Marty. The increase in
> > military UAV use is the catalyst here. These UAVs have been operated
> > successfully in theatre for years now and the military would like to
> > bring some of their capabilities into the US airspace system. The
> > challenge is getting the UAV operators and the FAA to mesh - and
> > unfortunately the models we fly are bing caught up in the dragnet.
> >
> > Here's some good background info:
> >
> > http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/16/ntsb.unmanned.vehicles/index.html
> >
> > http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=6287
> >
> > --
> > Tom
> >
> > _____________________________________________________________________
> >
> > | , | Tom Simes - President
> > ---------(@)--------- Alaska Radio Control Society
> > --|-- AMA Chartered Club #1998
> > ' president at alaskarc.org
> > _______________________________________________
> > AlaskaRC mailing list
> > AlaskaRC at lists.alaskarc.org
> > http://lists.alaskarc.org/mailman/listinfo/alaskarc
>
>
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Marty Hall
Fairbanks, Alaska
mjhall at alaskarcs.com

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