What are the new rules from the FAA or others I need to abide by to get into RC planes?

Hi soupninja,

Our RC model airplanes are now considered "Drones" by the FAA, and you need to register with the FAA to fly. It's not all that hard, I think it's still $5 per three years, and you can learn all about it here;

https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/register_drone


Having an AMA membership, while not an actual requirement, will provide insurance, an important consideration in today's litigious atmosphere....

PS, you are this, and not "Part 107", if you are planning to fly only for fun (and not being paid for your flying, as in being paid for taking real estate photos and other flying for financial compensation)

https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers

Good morning soupninja! Welcome back to the greatest hobby on earth! (IMHO)
In addition to registration as pointed out by Init4fun, you will also need to take the trust test (an incredibly easy test BTW). There are many places that administer the test, the AMA being one. You can take the test here.

Thanks guys!

You may want to check to see if there are any clubs in your area. Joining a club gives you other people to fly with along with training. Unfortunately the number of suppliers of goods in our hobby is getting rather small, a club is a good resource to barter among club members for items that may no longer be available or difficult to find.

The most disappointing thing I have found since returning to the hobby is the shops are gone, and clubs have dwindled to near nothing. I am missing the stops I used to make at the Hobby shops and the friends that I have made at the clubs. I think both items are victims of the internet sales pressures. It is a shame

We lost(or at least are losing)at least two shops, in my area, over the last 18 months. One shop(the best in the area IMHO) was priced out when the site management was offered roughly three times the rent for the space by another business. The hobby shop owner was given the chance to match the rent amount and, when they couldn't match it, they lost their lease. A second one has been driven out of business due to lack of law enforcement. They have been ripped off so many times that the own decided to call it quits. They are shutting down next month so, after that, I'll be forced into a 40+ mile drive to the next closest shop or will have to do my shopping on line

I have been out of RC for several years and had thought about flying again. Until I looked up the requirements and the regulatory bureaucracy's.. I have checked. The IRS is in charge of any fines that are not collected.. To much of a risk to my livelihood as a pilot to risk and inadvertent violation..

It’s really not that bad if you just follow a few simple rules. First off is registration. $5 for 3 years. Next is TRUST test that can be found on the AMA site. Lastly, if not flying at a FRIA, you need a RID module and you need to stay under 400’. I’ve yet to see any evidence of a recreational pilot flying traditional fixed wing having been cited.

I was also a professional pilot and very concerned about all the new regulations and drama brought about by a few clueless drone operators. In aviation it only takes one violation to ruin a career, so out of an abundance of caution, I gave away almost all of my RC planes to friends, and concentrated on exempt aircraft (control line and very small RC planes). Now that I’m retired I have started building up my fleet of non-exempt aircraft.

While I agree, that the odds of getting a violation is very low, it’s not zero and certainly greater than before all the drone drama. The odds increase exponentially when something bad happens like property damage or injury. Personally, I think the current regulations are violated many times per day at most fields, usually altitude violations and aircraft marking.

What the general public does not understand about the FAA is that all it takes is one FAA inspector with an agenda to create havoc with an aviator’s life, and there are thousands of inspectors. Enforcement costs the FAA nothing but can potentially cost the aviator many thousands in legal fees to protect his license. Additionally, the FAA often attempts to impose fines on EACH violation individually, so 5 flights in one day is at least 5 violations and who knows how much the fine is. No doubt it would probably fall apart in court, but how much does the lawyer cost to get it all dropped?

A professional pilot must make a decision about how much additional risk he is willing to endure to participate in the hobby. It’s an individual decision and I don’t fault anyone for deciding one way or the other after weighing the costs and the benefits.

welcome back, join your local club.

You likely have a dozen clubs within an hour. Maybe, maybe some of those are "unofficial" hangouts. Clubs aren't as open as they were in the past. They might say that the want more members, but they dont. That's why theyre so hard to find. No adds. No website. No face tube. If you do find a website for one, the page with "how do I join" has a friendly 87 step gatekeeping program. If they like you, you don't have to follow all of that.

Ill bet you'll find something, someone, eventually.

I go to 3 different clubs. But my main clique flies at an abandoned sports ball field, or 2.

The clubs require Ama cards. And you need to do the Faa website trust test, and record your trust number. Scribble it on the bottom of the plane. Civvy looking planes, I have a nice vinyl number sticker made, that I apply to the tail.

Park flying? Nobody around my AO, I mean nobody, gives a darn what the faa rules are. Run what you brung. Nobody even knows we're there.

I still get some things from my LHS. But online orders make more sense. My local airplane distributor, doesnt even have a store front. I call them, and pick it up.

I fail to see how a professional pilot could screw up enough, to get fined for a toy airplane. Two simple licenses, and one number.

I mean, these rules are a joke compared to the hoops you already have to jump through.

Still, the faa and ama, sure have wrecked the hobby.

That AMA has "wrecked" the hobby? How's that?

Here we go again! LOL

I think a good question would be: What would the hobby regulations be if it weren’t for the AMA lobbying for us? My suspicion is that everyone would be required to have RID and no altitudes beyond 400’.

i fly under 250g, no worries

Glad to see you’re only concerned about yourself……..

you can do it!