Originally Posted by
R_Strowe
Franklin,
I am so sorry that I thought you and I were on the same page in this hobby, especially after speaking face to face on the subject.
I now realize that I was completely duped by you, and that because of the AMA's perceived slight against you (not funding an R/C flying site on your military base), that you are now obsessed with the destruction of both the AMA as well as the hobby. It is a shame that you have to be such a petty person, with nothing positive to contribute. I can only hope that your comments are in such a minority that they are heavily outweighed by the positive, constructive comments of the majority.
R_Strowe
My motivations are much more complex. I view the safety and security of American at home as infinitely more important than the hobby. That is why I support DoD, DHS, and others in their efforts to get RemoteID for all sUAS ... including "traditional model aircraft."
And as for actions that endanger the hobby, I actually think AMA is doing more harm than good. First by wasting millions of members' hard earned dollars creating "Taj-Muncie" in lieu of fields used by members. Second, by wasting money moving their HQ to the middle of nowwhere instead of keeping it in DC where public policy is made. Third, they abdicate responsibility for keeping clubs compliant with AMA rules, let alone federal rules. That endangers people in the air and on the ground .. a point noted by the courts in Pennsylvania. AMA talks a good game, but despite knowing (or should have known) about dangerous activities for YEARS, the AMA did nothing. Heck, this month's Model Aviation even talks about someone's giant scale plane that had a flyaway, crashing on someone else's property. And finally, AMA crossed a clear bright line with me when they tried to use 336 to imply membership was required. Some deny that they tried, however there's video of the ED saying explicitly that "We believe membership is required..." (or words very close to it. I have the exact quote in a letter somewhere).
The threats out there are real. The threats to people on the ground from "traditional model aircraft" have been noted by courts. And I for one do not want to wait until AFTER there's an event before taking action. Remote ID provides an initial indicator of friend or foe. It allows a landowner to know who is flying over his land, equipment, livestock, etc. It also provides incentive to keep the toy planes over club property and not annex the air over people's homes and farms.
So ultimately, I side with DoD, DHS FAA, and others because once again, I believe safety and security of the nation and its citizens is infinitely more important than the hobby.