RCU Forums - FAA COA

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After two years of constant back and forth my customer now has an FAA approved COA for the SUAS contract with Zaner Aviation. Ground school tomorrow and flying starts this coming week.

Regards, John Zaner

A good day today. Got the three selected students through the ground school in the morining and took them flying in the afternoon. Two students completed proficiency with three launches and three landings. These two are scheduled for their first mission next week.

John Zaner

John,

I have bgeen away from this for about 7 months-My art business with Harley justed dumped last year, I decided to do aerial photograhy since I am already a pro photographer. bout the heliolearned to fly and then all this stuff about the FAAit just took the wind out of my sails. I see you are talking about the FAA and COAwhere can I get the latest on what is going on-I still want to do this more than anything

thank you

gunz

Hi Gunz,

You need to understand that this is not going to happen for a while. It has taken my customer 2 years of negotiations to get a 1-year evaluation COA out of the FAA. The restrictions they have to live with are extreme to say the least. You could spend the next year or so getting proficient with the flying and then see where it stands.

Regards, John

thank you-but i need to pay my bills-I see you were talking about students and first missionswhat is that about??

I understand you really want to do this but it will not be possible for a long time. Right now the only possible path for legal operations is for a public organization with a COA. There are no options open for a private commercial operation.

I have been working with the FAA for the past 6 years to try to make it happen and am as anxious as you. There is just no way I can see it done for quite a while yet.

I am sorry for not providing more information about my current effort but I have a non-disclosure in my contract. I will provide full information as soon as i can. In the meanwhile don't quite your day job and practice your flying skills recreationally.

Regards, John

I don't have a day jobthis was to be my day jobI am 61 and in danger of losing my houseI know the FAA doesn't careI am not sure what I am going to do nowHell, I am worth more dead than alive. It just makes me sick, I fought for this country and I did public servicePolice Officer and Para MedicTo hell with the govt

Your right Big Gunz, we fought for our freedoms, screw the FAA and the rest of the government. Do what you have to to survive.

Don't feel alone. I'm 70 years young and I fought too. I don't like these rules any more than you do but I chose to work to change things. It just takes so long to get the gov't to move on anything.

I know how the gov't works both from the inside and outside. Use to be country manager for Continental Airlines in saipan. saipan is an Island culture and they all, and I mean all, smoke pot and chew beetle nut. Well the FAA in all their wisdom informs me they are coming out to do drug testing (this was in 1986) of my 267 employees. I was to expect an agent there within the week. Anyone found with drugs in their system would be put on leave with pay (at my expense) pending a further investigation. I informed my staff of this testing and you what they did? They all planned extended vacationsEVERYONE. I informed the FAA of the island culture, that Pot was not Illegal there and their agent was free to come whenever they wanted-but he would have to swim back to Guam (120 NM) because I would have NO GROUND CREWS, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS for the aircraft. All international flights from Japan, China, HG, Philippine's, Yap etcwould all be canceled within 24 hours or less. Within 24 hours I got a telegram telling me that the testing would be delayed indefinitely until they look into the situation. After two years they never showed.

This said a lot to me:

1. They CAN make a decision quickly when it is THEIR ASS ON THE LINE.

2. They are living in their own little bubble - not knowing what the rest of the world is up too.

3. They CAN NOT make a decision by vote/policy - just ignore it and the problem will go away.

4. They really are ruled by Big Business. Continental was in Chapter 11 and it was my routes with Asia keeping the entire airline afloatwith that part of the revenue stream gone because of employee testing the airline would have failed. I knew that, Cont knew that and even the employees knew thatthe only group that did not know that was the FAA. So a few calls to Washington, including the White House the inspection was put on "permanent hold".

Now this group of FAA bureaucrats wants me, us, to lose our homes, not feed our families, lose my $1300 a month health insurance (my wife has MS and I am a controlled diabetic), go on welfare

They should all be ashamed of themselves. This has been going on for yearsand will continue to go on for more years. The difference is "for pay". Hell I have over 2 million dollars in liability to cover problems, I know the rules, I am not some hotshot kid out their showing offthis is a professional business run by a professional-a very poor and starving professional.

I don't know what non disclosure you are talking aboutwith the FAA. Just for my informationhow did you get involved in this mess anywayI sure would not want to do it. How long have you been working on this? How many prosecutions have there beenhow many did the FAA win/lose? I live in Washington, DC and I know a lot of people on the hill so if you need any help I have all the damn time in the world. Also I am tired into NASA, one of my best friends, DAVE BROWN, was killed upon reentry a couple of years ago. One of Dave's other friends is supposed to be the nations leading expert on UAV's. Not that I am interested in UAV's - just line of sight.

I will leave you with one parting story. My chief of immigration in Saipan was an American with over 30 years of experience in the USA and around the world in immigration. He had a set of shirts he wore to work that were finely embroidered with the two states, one on each breast pocket cover. One read (ALWAYS QUESTION AUTHORITY" and the other (NEVER TRUST THE GOV'T". When I asked him about this he answer was " I have been in gov't my whole life, I know how it works, I know how it doesn't workit has been to me a dismal failure of inaction and bureaucracy filled with the uniformed and uncaring.". Nothing has changed since my dealings with the FAA in 1986 and I DO NOT BELIEVE anything with change in the next year. I am no radical, I have worked hard my entire life and I will damned if some fat ass gov't "official",that I did not elect, dictate my life, jeopardize my family, my home and my health. Shame on them, Shame on us for letting them get this much power. This powder keg has long sought a spark!!!
Like it or not, America is one big powder keg that is ready to explode. Too many people are getting fed up with the expansionist role of government in our daily lives. While many are certainly content to submit to the supposedly all knowing, all caring nanny state, murmurs of dissent are growing. Granules of explosive powder, each representing some overreach of our federal government, have been added slowly over the years and all that is needed to set off this powder keg is the right spark.

Like it or not, America is one big powder keg that is ready to explode. Too many people are getting fed up with the expansionist role of government in our daily lives. While many are certainly content to submit to the supposedly all knowing, all caring nanny state, murmurs of dissent are growing. Granules of explosive powder, each representing some overreach of our federal government, have been added slowly over the years and all that is needed to set off this powder keg is the right spark.

I am sure that the blissfully ignorant are completely unaware as to what I am talking about. If you are not willing to actually look at what is going on around this nation then do me a favor and keep your heads in the sand. Keeping it there will certainly afford you the most protection when push comes to shove and the bullets start flying. Duck and cover like the government has told you to do.

This is not a prediction based on some sick desire on my own part to see America engulfed in an explosion that will tear it asunder. It is an observation made carefully based on a growing series of events and facts.

There are too many people left among the American people that still desire liberty. That is a fact. Even though many of them are willing to overlook infringements of the rights of others as long as their own are not infringed or are perceived to not be infringed, they cannot tolerate their own rights being encroached upon. As the government located in Washington, D.C. continues to look for more things, to do, they are slowly encroaching into every aspect of every Americans lives which were once taboo to the touch and thus adding more powder to the keg. God knows I LOVE MY COUNTRY but I FEAR MY GOVERMENT.

JUST a few thoughtsI am now safely assuming that I am now on the Gov't hit listthey know where to find me.

Got any tea that needs to be dumped???

I'm sorry, it seems like you have a lot of issues. I just don't want to go there.

I have worked long and hard to gain some results and I think you would be better served to work for what should be instead of complaining about what is. Good luck to you.

I have only one issueI am just not happy with the way the govt is handling this one problemprobably becasue it effects me and my family directly. I am glad to see there are folks out there pushing this in a positive directionand I thank you. As far as working hard in a positive directionwell I have have done that my entire life and I continue to do sothis is just another bump in a long road.

Sorry if I sounded a little radical in the last postingI just got a notice that I am now 36 days past due on my mortgage. This was a first for mebeisde being stressful and is most embarrassing.

Again, I do appreciate your efforts and wish you the bestagainif you need anything in the Washington, DC please let me know, I have a lot of contacts on the hillwho knew

Big gunz you are right on most things you mention. Go fly and do it as you wish, unless you cause a problem there won't be one. Hundreds of others have been doing AP for pay non-stop and no one has been "busted".
Zaner is part of the regulation problem you talk about. He has been pushing for regulation for many years to any yahoo at FAA that would listen so he can make a few $ on his "flight school". Notice on his first post he brags about a contract, and his second post he is boasting about the students.

Thank you for your messagenow this is making some senseto me. Like when I was in Saipansomeone in HI put a burr under the saddle of the FAA causing them to end up at the ends of the earth and make my life a nightmare there.

I am planning now to do just as you suggestI also may have found a legal way around this anyway

Be Safe

Gunz

FAA COA was never about the BLT

It is a sandwich with Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato :)

John, the FAA is a self perpetuating bureaucracy as you may have realize after two years of contact.
And like any bureaucracy, the individuals within it will step on or setup anyone on the inside (or outside) to further their career.
1# They love to create new areas of regulation....if you don't make noise, but you feed into it.
2# People move in and out of departments, your project has a very high likelihood of being forgotten or eliminated with a stroke of a pen.
3# A large corporation with deep pockets will bump you into the sidelines using your ideas and groundwork.

Ive seen this time and time again with good people dealing with agency's in this government, it's high risk.

All I'm saying is don't quit your day job and don't put your savings into it....be ready.....wait for it......ta-da.

I for one do not want to see every guy with a $500 heli flying above traffic. I have seen enough crashes to know that the risk is there.

why did you send me this???????????

I did not reply to you... read...it was a general comment, not meant to anyone..

Quote:

ORIGINAL: big gunz 45

why did you send me this???????????

I was under the impression a COA would only be required if you were doing autonomous flight using one of the autopilot boards. Aerial photography done by rc and within the rest of the proposed regulations would not require a COA. Have I missed something in the proposal from the committee?

who the hell knows at this point-and also at this pointwho cares

Well that was jam PACKED with useful info...

you are talking to the wrong guy hereI don't know for sure and I sure as hell don't care-not trying to be mean-you really need to talk to someone else that knows for sure and gives a damnand that AIN'T me-

good luck

gunz