AMA and Multirotors

[njswede]

6 inches of snow? This was my driveway about an hour ago:

But yeah, I agree that there's a fair amount of sensationalism an overreaction when it comes to multirotors. I would say it's a combination of that and idiots doing idiotic things.

 

[kwj48]

Cliff at Atlanta Hobby. Pretty good interview.

http://bcove.me/7zse0git

 

[Flyin4fun]

I think it's pretty simple.

Separate hobby and Commercial and do the same for the equipment.

FPV:
Hobby GRADE FPV. .5W max (or what ever allows around a range of 750 feet.)
750 feet is fine for most FPV racing and "hobby interests"
Anything above that rating would need a commercial license. People caught using "non hobby" grade FPV equipment without a license face a hefty fine. (hence the morons causing issues in cities and such)

Commercial Grade FPV:
Distance/wattage to be assessed.
License required, and insurance requiered.

Multirotors:
Hobby Grade Multi's:
>2lbs AUW - no license.. unregulated except the normal hobby FAA/Common Sense rules.

Commercial Grade Multi's
<2 lbs - 55lbs
License required, and insurance requiered.

Over 55lbs needs to be specially approved by FAA.

HOW..is this "simple"????
Are hobby shops, mail/internet ordering, only going to sell "hobby grade" to those without a "license" and vice versa ,only sell commercial grade to those posessing a license???
What about those that order the parts to construct their own???
What about units already owned... are those that have commercial grade, but no license, going to stop using them? I think not.
And the biggest question... what governing body is going to enforce and "fine" what you propose as being "simple"??
THEN you say that those using unregulated hobby grade multi's shall use them under "hobby FAA/common sense rules"...... HAHA good luck on that one.....this is why we are in the situation we are today........NEVAGONNAHAPPEN.
Steve,,,, what you suggested actually creates more questions than solutions....much less "simple ones"
What solution is there???? maybe regulating "how and where it is legal" to fly them???? but that creates enforcement issues too.
Banning them?? not gonna happen either, Plus there are already too many out there.
This is why there cities, municipalities, federal parks, state parks, county parks, and even a few states banning/proposed banning R/C as a whole.
Why are they doing this??? because in a few instances they wanted to ban multi's, but the owners of the multi's cried fowl as they claimed they fly as a hobby, so in order to not discriminate, they Ban all R/C aviation........ it's happening everywhere.
Little by little we are losing flying areas because of those that "lack any form of common sense"... and they basically DO NO CARE, as they do not like being told what they can/cannot do , or what aircraft they fly.
This balloonhead (government employee, none the less), flies his multi, at 3 in the morning, in "no fly" airspace, crashes on the Whitehouse lawn, AND claims he is a hobbyiest just testing how it flies in bad weather. ( if you believe that, I got a beautiful vacation spot to sell you, 50 miles east of Key West , Florida that is great for fishing.

 

[sweetpea]

Also that video with the gun on the quad is fake (though most know that).

 

[SleepyC]

It was a suggestion.

And I think there are ways to regulate who flies what.

Let's see... why is there a Turbine wavier? Over 55lb waiver?
Why do we need those?

Why follow those rules? Can hobby shops sell anyone a turbine?

 

[ChickenBalls]

I can tell you how we ended up there: We went from RC aircraft being a technology that was only accessible to a small group of enthusiasts with enough time, money and skills on their hands to something that's accessible to anyone with a couple of hundred bucks in their pocket. I think we need to stop blaming the government/law enforcement and start looking at the idiots who fly these so-called "drones". Wanting to regulate something that's potentially dangerous is a natural reaction of any government. (Flame retardant suit on... )

First let me start off with I'm an old country boy. I don't write or talk eloquently(probably misspelled that word), its difficult for me to express myself correctly on the interweb, without someone taking offence, but know this I want to stand beside all of you AMA members and fight. OK that's out the way
@njswede no flame suit needed here. You can leave flame suit at the door when you come here, this site doesn't promote baby mama drama, but I do have a few questions for you. I'm totally 100% behind you with the statement above GO AFTER THE IDIOT who is breaking the law(PERIOD). I'm not blaming Big government or law enforcement, I blame AMA for lumping us in with drones, simple as that. Time for questions, explain to me how you think more government, more regulations, more money is going to fix our problem?

 

[Bartman]

this site doesn't promote baby mama drama,

 

[SleepyC]

we discuss this a lot over at multirotorforums.com as you might have guessed.

Wait are you telling me there is a site dedicated to multi rotors and it's right there at that website www.multirotorforums.com?!?!
WHAT?!?! COME ON?! ALL MULTIROTORS ALL THE TIME?!?! REALLY?!?!?!??! NO WAY!!
I'm gonna go join right now!!

 

[ChickenBalls]

I think it's pretty simple.

Separate hobby and Commercial and do the same for the equipment.

FPV:
Hobby GRADE FPV. .5W max (or what ever allows around a range of 750 feet.)
750 feet is fine for most FPV racing and "hobby interests"
Anything above that rating would need a commercial license. People caught using "non hobby" grade FPV equipment without a license face a hefty fine. (hence the morons causing issues in cities and such)

Commercial Grade FPV:
Distance/wattage to be assessed.
License required, and insurance requiered.

Multirotors:
Hobby Grade Multi's:
>2lbs AUW - no license.. unregulated except the normal hobby FAA/Common Sense rules.

Commercial Grade Multi's
<2 lbs - 55lbs
License required, and insurance requiered.

Over 55lbs needs to be specially approved by FAA.

Sleepy I support that all but the FPV. I'm for no FPV at my charted club. I'm in process now of being proactive, rather than reactive, and I fill that it will prevent a lot of problems now and down the road, to separate totally from the FPV.

 

[SleepyC]

Sleepy I support that all but the FPV. I'm for no FPV at my charted club. I'm in process now of being proactive, rather than reactive, and I fill that it will prevent a lot of problems now and down the road, to separate totally from the FPV.

Yea, but see this is almost like back in the days with NO 3D.

750 feet or less FPV racing can be a BLAST. And there are a LOT of guys who love it and respect it. Why punish them for morons? Same with 3D. Morons were being lumped in with the crowd. It took many safe fly -in's with quite a few of the AMA head guys attending for them and the general RC hobby to take 3D seriously.

There will always be morons, no reason to punish everyone for the morons mistakes. Just hold the morons accountable.