ORIGINAL: cfircav8r

As the name implies the Federal Aviation Administration regulates every aspect of aviation. This includes all model aircraft that leave the ground, controlled or not. What most people are failing to realize is that they are discussing new regulations not laws. Laws can be a difficult lengthy process with input from many aspects of the government and the people, regulations are produced from within the organization and can happen quickly. The FAA was originally founded for one purpose, to protect the population from the ''evils that pilots do.'' If you read FAR part 91 you will see that these regs protect passengers and persons/property on the ground not the pilot. As far as the FAA is concerned the pilot can do anything they want as long as he/she is the only one going to die. Local and state gov. will have little to no influence on softening the regs. The best course of action is to show that we will abide by the rules, can self regulate, and do not pose a threat to the general public. Pilots during the formation of the CAA (the precurser to the FAA) all thought ''this is the end of personal aviation.'' I think we can all agree that while it did become somewhat more restrictive I was by no means the end of it. Will this change our hobby? Yes. Will I still be able to do whatever I want? No , but then again when can we? I do feel that we will still be able to enjoy our hobby and thrive, just with a few more limitations. Better that then loose it alltogether. I do not condone the proposed changes, but I am realistic in that this hobby is growing as more toy versions hit the shelves of toy stores, and the bigger it gets the more the gov. feels the need to regulate.