Originally Posted by
ECHO24
That's not the only ding on AMA ... AMA also sued the FAA to allow compensation for RC flight training or demo flights. Another rebuke. "Recreational purposes may not include activities such as flights for any compensation, monetary or otherwise, and flights related to or in furtherance of a business." That's followed by, "Each individual pilot must maintain responsibility for compliance with the 49 U.S.C. § 44809(a)(1) requirement for recreational purpose, regardless of whether the event is sanctioned by a CBO [AMA] or otherwise presented as generally compliant with 49 U.S.C. § 44809(a)(1)."
I missed that part. Now the first thing we'll hear from the acolytes will be stories about FAA attending this event or that and not saying anything. But those same people understand how government works. They give you lots and lots of rope to hang yourself, and then drop the hammer when something serious happens. They'll even use those prior events to show "pattern of conduct" type findings. I've watch DOT do that with pipeline safety, OSHA do it with worker safety, and other agencies do it with environmental.
So every time an "agent of the AMA" (i.e. CD or Event Director) or even a club is permitting activities outside the rule/law in the presence of an FAA official, they're simply handing the FAA another stick to beat the CBO with. It's much easier for something to hold on appeal when government can show a pattern of non-compliance, especially when they see it not just at one event in one location but generally across several CBO locations.
That's it AMA, just keep ignoring the advice I gave you years ago: things like keeping actual near miss and other typical aviation safety data that you then use to actually address compliance issues.