Originally Posted by
cj_rumley
10+ years ago model airplanes were not regulated, and FAA saw no need to regulate them. FAA did see a need to regulate drones. Rich, representing AMA, and pretending to represent all modelers, participated in the Advisory and Rulemaking Committee for sUAS,intended to be a forum for stakeholders in drone operations, industry, etc. to discuss, prioritize, and resolve issues, provide direction for U.S. UAS operational criteria, support the NextGen Implementation Plan, and produce U.S. consensus positions for global harmonization. In the course of that meeting, the bases for the degraded freedom to enjoy model aviation ensued:
* Model aircraft regulation is now a fact of life, by FAA and by proxy AMA
* Our model aircraft and the hobbyists that operate them now carry a stigma in the public perception that is earned by irresponsible drone operators
* AMA no longer represents, or even recognizes, aircraft modeling modelers that are not dues-paying members
* AMA member's dollars are being spent on a cyclic schedule of lobbying tied to FAA Re-authorization, ostensibly to protect our right but apparently aimed at enhancing AMA's monopoly control over the privilege of operating a drone subtype formerly known as a model aircraft
Tell the people formerly flying in proximity to an airport we haven't lost anything. For that matter tell me that not losing anything is a reasonable goal for any organization. Is a zero sum game the best we can expect from AMA? If AMA had walked away from the sUAS ARC, we would in all likelihood have no regulation at all, just the advisory AC 91-57 as sufficed in the preceding 3 decades, and possibly an organization that looked out for the interests of modelers rather than empire building motivations that apparently have devolved to schemes for fiscal survival.
Back to your opening question, I will still enjoy flying model airplanes, whatever AMA and the pols in their pockets have and will come up with, as long as I'm physically able. I wish the same could be said for my grandchildren.
Concur with Mike. Excellent post. Since AMA stuck their nose into this, in my opinion as a way to stem a decade long slide in constant year revenue dollars, it's been worse rather than better. And in today's video they're now openly saying that they view the law requires membership. And why do they think this is good? To prevent 336 from becoming a get out of jail free card.
Well, if AMA was so concerned about safety and get out of jail free cards, why did they allow a large chartered club in PA to draw so much attention that courts shut them down? AMA "knew or should have known" that club and its members were regularly violating the AMA's beloved "code" by repeatedly overflying non-participants on private property, private farms, livestock, and farm employees. Yet AMA did nothing.
They're not in it for safety, it's all about the money.