I fear a storm is coming

[AKNick]

The FAA said model aircraft will not be required to have an onboard transponder thingy so how will anyone know.
there is no way anyone can show that I am flying outside of the 8 rules, including the ceiling.
Point is, 99% of the populous don't give a rats petunia about us including the FAA.
So, be smart, fly safe, yield the right of way, and stay the hell away from people and structures. Our hobby may very well depend on it.

Some of those eight rules cannot even be complied with anyways for the time being... such as passing a test. There is no test yet.

The Transponder will most likely be an ADS-B OUT as some point, but whilst they would like this, their main focus in the US will be implementing ADS-B OUT for General Aviation by 2020 within certain airspace. So lets relax. My GPS module for my Futaba gear doesn't appear to be very accurate +/- 80ft some times. So the technology in this particular size is not available yet so the requirements cannot be met due to lack of availability. The 2020 mandate had well over five years to gear up. I would presume this would take more time.

I've spoken with the FAA here, and you are correct. They do not care unless there is a report of a violation. Then they have to act. Now they have a law to fall back on to enforce it. They have had reports in Anchorage over the float pond in Merrill Field but by the time they got there the person had left. The person reporting it said it was a drone, two younger guys, and a white car......... So how do they track that kind of report!! HA HA HA. Good luck.

I even talked to a wildlife enforcer who had a report of a drone on a cliff face next to goats.... Drone was dead. No numbers, No contact, video did not help other than seeing a goat check it out. HA HA, I don't think people were harassing wildlife, but it goes to show that the people doing wrong are not us. We shouldn't be so worried other than to use our common sense.
Education is important. The FEDs here in Alaska don't have very much funding for education. They want the club to promote aviation and educate those getting into the hobby so they understand the importance of keeping the NAS controlled.

The FEDS need ruling to enforce when there is a threat to the NAS. Period. There will be revisions... good and bad in the future. You need to stand in their shoes though to see it.

I'm concerned for those long time fields being pinched out of existence due to overregulation (blanket regulations intended for a specific group but encapsulates everyone). Overregulation is a quick, imprecise way of creating a ruling... It saddens me to see all of these great minds at work and to see what they have come up with.

At any rate, I'm just trying to keep our clubs two fields active in Class D airspace, I'm optimistic as well, but it's not making it easy for a guy to fly an RC plane anymore.

 

[Flyin4fun]

Just do what the AMA suggests that you do......"fly as you have always been"....for now.
These are a changing times ......so...always keep your eyes and ears open for any changes/updates.
This isn't all about the errant idiot pilots.....but more so about the FAA needing to provide unrestrictive airspace for future small unmanned commercial endeavors. which we will have to accept and adapt to them too.
Lastly..... get your info from your AMA District VP.
There is too much confusing info being entered into social media that have a great deal of differing opinions/interpretations.

 

[tailskid]

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/clubhouse-190/839955-sepulveda-basin-362.html

For the whole story.

 

[acerc]

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/clubhouse-190/839955-sepulveda-basin-362.html

For the whole story.

That is unfortunate and is happening to a few others as well. But remember, it is the law and that is the restrictions for that airspace. And as much as we are scrambling to figure out where we stand I am sure the FAA is scrambling to figure out how each discipline can best be accommodated. I noted before that congress passed a law, the FAA was given the task of figuring out what works best and where. Give them some time to figure some things out.

 

[acerc]

I also would like to know if what I think is in some of the basins pics is what it appears to be. It look's to me like there are paths around the park including the general flying field. If this is the case they have never followed even AMA's guidelines of no flying over people or vehicles. Add that to being so close to an airport it is a wonder they are even there at all. The same holds true for a club I am in south of me because there are structures and people to the left and right at about a thousand feet. The smaller aircraft have no problem staying well away but the bigger one's are definitely flying over them. That is also why I don't fly there any more, my planes are to big for the area. And one thing I think we should all agree on is the safety factor. And that is also why these clubs in the no fly zone is, or nearly will, be shut down. Not that many years ago our toy's were not so big nor so easily flown so far away. Now they are huge, partially or fully autonomous or capable of such. It is a whole different world out there and these are just toys. Toys that if control of is lost are extremely dangerous.