Email your congressmen about the AAIR Act
03-22-2016, 06:25 AM
#1
Email your congressmen about the AAIR Act
Here is where you go to email your congressmen and women: https://emailcongress.us/
Here is the text of the message I sent to my representatives:
Dear xxxx,
A Senate bill to reauthorize the FAA contains provisions related to the manufacture of drones that could apply to home-built model airplanes, as well as those produced by large consumer manufacturers. The bill in question, titled the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2016, contains provisions that would have a significant negative impact on technology innovation by all manufacturers of model aircraft. With no size or weight threshold, the bill, if adopted, would add new and burdensome manufacturing, testing and approval restrictions to even the tiniest models. And, most disturbing, these restrictions could apply to hobby-built remote controlled aircraft, effectively prohibiting them from operating outdoors. The legislation could also retroactively ground already-built models that didn’t meet the manufacturing standards called for by the proposed legislation.
The bill states: “it shall be unlawful for any person to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce any unmanned aircraft manufactured on or after the date that the [FAA] adopts a relevant [manufacturing] standard, unless the manufacturer has received approval …for each make and model.” In order to receive approval, the bill sets forth steps that would be difficult for large manufacturers to meet, let alone small businesses or individuals. A manufacturer – regardless of size – would at a minimum have to provide “the aircraft’s operating instructions” and confirm that the model met the specified standards. In addition, the manufacturer would have to provide a sample of every make and model to the FAA for its approval.
According to Peter Sachs, who publishes the well-regarded legal website www.dronelawjournal.com, “the flight of any aircraft, whether built in a factory or in a basement, is a flight in interstate commerce.”
At a time when the U.S. lags behind so many industrialized countries in higher education, especially in terms of science and technology, a bill that would have such tremendous impacts on aeronautical science is perplexing. Almost all astronauts and famous aviation pioneers started by building and flying model airplanes. I have flown model airplanes for over 50 years and am worried that the current climate of fear regarding "drones" will result in knee jerk, over reaching laws and restrictions with unintended consequences on what has been and is now a safe and rewarding hobby.
The Academy of Model Aviation is currently working with congress to introduce reasonable rules that allow for the continued safe operation of model aircraft for hobby and recreation. On February 11, 2016 the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House of Representatives passed the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, which preserves and strengthens the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. Please join the house in their efforts to ensure that this important legislation protects the hobby of flying model aircraft.
Thank you,
Name; Address, Phone No.
Here is the text of the message I sent to my representatives:
Dear xxxx,
A Senate bill to reauthorize the FAA contains provisions related to the manufacture of drones that could apply to home-built model airplanes, as well as those produced by large consumer manufacturers. The bill in question, titled the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2016, contains provisions that would have a significant negative impact on technology innovation by all manufacturers of model aircraft. With no size or weight threshold, the bill, if adopted, would add new and burdensome manufacturing, testing and approval restrictions to even the tiniest models. And, most disturbing, these restrictions could apply to hobby-built remote controlled aircraft, effectively prohibiting them from operating outdoors. The legislation could also retroactively ground already-built models that didn’t meet the manufacturing standards called for by the proposed legislation.
The bill states: “it shall be unlawful for any person to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce any unmanned aircraft manufactured on or after the date that the [FAA] adopts a relevant [manufacturing] standard, unless the manufacturer has received approval …for each make and model.” In order to receive approval, the bill sets forth steps that would be difficult for large manufacturers to meet, let alone small businesses or individuals. A manufacturer – regardless of size – would at a minimum have to provide “the aircraft’s operating instructions” and confirm that the model met the specified standards. In addition, the manufacturer would have to provide a sample of every make and model to the FAA for its approval.
According to Peter Sachs, who publishes the well-regarded legal website www.dronelawjournal.com, “the flight of any aircraft, whether built in a factory or in a basement, is a flight in interstate commerce.”
At a time when the U.S. lags behind so many industrialized countries in higher education, especially in terms of science and technology, a bill that would have such tremendous impacts on aeronautical science is perplexing. Almost all astronauts and famous aviation pioneers started by building and flying model airplanes. I have flown model airplanes for over 50 years and am worried that the current climate of fear regarding "drones" will result in knee jerk, over reaching laws and restrictions with unintended consequences on what has been and is now a safe and rewarding hobby.
The Academy of Model Aviation is currently working with congress to introduce reasonable rules that allow for the continued safe operation of model aircraft for hobby and recreation. On February 11, 2016 the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House of Representatives passed the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, which preserves and strengthens the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. Please join the house in their efforts to ensure that this important legislation protects the hobby of flying model aircraft.
Thank you,
Name; Address, Phone No.
03-22-2016, 08:14 AM
#3
Thank you for providing this template. This is the kind of response we need to send our elected officials, not a bunch of hotheaded anti government types threatening anarchy. They need to know and understand from the public that this is important to us, the hobbyist.
