ECHO24

It's not a matter of opinion, AMA and the RC flying hobby will be hollowed out over time with no pool of potential new members.

Bob Violett years ago predicted what was going to happen in his open letter to AMA in 2014, "If we lose the battle with the FAA in trying to protect FPV (and we certainly will), we may completely lose our freedom to operate model airplanes. If you truly want to kill a hobby and associated legitimate businesses, let the government get involved. Do we really want to have local police watching every model airplane activity?" This was when AMA sued the FAA over FPV. This was the doing of Rich Hanson, then AMA Director of Government Affairs who actually was running the whole show.

July 8, 2014
From: Bob Violett
To: AMA President Bob Brown
CC: Dave Mathewson, Rich Hanson
Re: Response to FAA Model Aircraft Rule Interpretation

Gentleman,

During the last few years, I have been concerned about the ramifications of FPV on
our hobby. I have stated so in two letters to the AMA in October and December of
2012 that I believe the FPV will attract unnecessary attention to our hobby by various
governmental agencies. It now appears that my observation was correct, but our AMA
has actually been encouraging this activity.

I agree with the portion of the FAA ruling interpretation that describes a model aircraft
operation to be "line of sight" only with no visual enhancement beyond normal
corrective eyeglasses. They actually referred to our AMA Safety Code.
It cannot be denied that FPV operations contribute to the blurring of the line of
distinction between a model airplane and a sUAS.*

Instead of the AMA doing everything possible to maintain that distinction, you have
adopted and embraced the FPV enthusiasts, falsely thinking that a few rules could
contain this activity. The AMA's opinion that somehow documents #550 and #560 will
suffice to control the FPV menace, is true fantasy. The AMA has shown multiple
times in the past that it is unwilling to discipline any of its members for Safety Code
Violations.

Anecdotal evidence that the line of distinction is blurred, is that many people (the
public) refer to R/C Model Aircraft now as "Drones". I have heard these comments
from spectators at multiple model aircraft events. At these events, I have also listened
to FPV enthusiasts brag that they have flown there vehicles 2-5 miles away from their
launch location. They could care less that their activities threaten our hobby.

In my opinion, the AMA will never reverse the FPV ban by the FAA. When a federal
agency is charged with "public safety", their easiest response, is to say "NO".
If we lose the battle with the FAA in trying to protect FPV (and we certainly will), we
may completely lose our freedom to operate model airplanes. If you truly want to kill a
hobby and associated legitimate businesses, let the government get involved. Do we
really want to have local police watching every model airplane activity?

We should be able to demonstrate to the FAA that we can self police and relieve
them of what they see as their obligation in this regard. I know that it is difficult for
people and organizations thereof, to admit that they previously exercised bad
judgment. But, we must now divorce ourselves from any perception that a model
airplane is a "drone".

I observed that the AMA actually had a booth and personnel present at the 2014
*AUVSI convention in Orlando, Florida. Could you explain to the membership what
you hoped to accomplish there? AMA funds must be plentiful to have spent several
thousand dollars of our dues money for that venture.

So, it is my suggestion that the AMA agree with the FAA about FPV and get back to
the AMA Safety Code relative to "line-of-sight" limitations.

Absolutely, the AMA should challenge the FAA ruling regarding prohibition of
commercial activity with model airplanes. Denying pay for one's services seems
beyond the FAA's power and seems contrary to the U.S. Constitution, and will cost
thousands of jobs in the U.S.A..

Sincerely, Bob Violett

Brief Bio: Former Navy Fighter/Attack pilot, airline pilot, model airplane pilot with many
prestigious awards, AMA Hall of Fame member, and sUAS pilot at Aberdeen Prooving
Grounds in Maryland and Avon Park, Florida.

Edit: Here's AMA's lawsuit vs FAA filed the following month arguing against "restrictions on the use of “first person view”
systems to control model aircraft" specifically in support for drones, and this as well, "restrictions on the use of private
property at low altitudes (in non-navigable airspace) for aeromodeling activities."