Unfortunately, this is the perspective most people have ... this is not surprising since this type of coverage is the only exposure most people have to the hobby.

Worse yet, because the word "drone" is in the popular vernacular, anything that you fly remotely is now a drone to the general public. Even my sisters, who know that I have been building and flying model airplanes since I was young boy, have started referring to my hobby as flying "drones" now.

This has been one of my biggest complaints about the AMA. They should be leading community outreach campaigns to help us create a more positive image for the hobby. They certainly could/should be doing things at a national level including actual "effective" use of social media, but even more importantly, they should be providing guidance and leadership to the local clubs so that we can have a grass roots campaign too.