FTCA/FPVFC Congressional Outreach - Contact Your Representatives!

Merv

Moderator
Moderator
Ask congress to raise the 250g limit to 1000g.
That is, anything below 35.27 oz. can fly anywhere without a remote ID.
 

CappyAmeric

Elite member
And from Joshua Bardwell...
I had to laugh. Bardwell teed up a perfect opportunity to bash AMA but they deferred.

Suffice it to say AMA is going to be screwed over by the FAA but all the AMA can do is take parting shots at FPVFC and FTCA in their comments about FRIAs. AMA is going to find out that the FRIA process is going to leave scores of their club fields waiting for years for designation.
 

Captain Video

Well-known member
For those of you who are writing challenged, I have a suggestion.
The form letter idea is one way to communicate your concerns but it is possible the weight of your opinion could be diluted or over looked because they keep seeing the same letter.
I was uncertain how to start the letter. On a whim I used Open AI to see what it would do. The two paragraphs generated were pretty good. I will add the hot points to the AI letter. Besides it is using cutting edge tech. I have a degree in Business Communication from a well respected university in Columbus Ohio and am very capable of putting pen to paper to argue a point.
Fellow members of the Flite Test community, be sure to write your congress person and representative about the changes we seek from the FAA. If we sit on our collective hands and don’t express our opinions you have no reason to complain when Big Brother takes away our Freedoms and Privileges.
Thanks for listening.
 

MJSantito

Member
I actually received a response form my senator. Can't say I have warm fuzzies from this response so I really do hope there will be some momentum behind this in a positive direction.


Thank you for contacting me about Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration requirements for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

The FAA is charged with regulating the aviation industry, from the smallest unmanned aircraft to the largest commercial airlines, and I strongly support the agency’s mission to protect public safety. As you know, current FAA regulations require operators of UAS to register their aircraft if it is over 0.55 pounds. As a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the FAA, I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate debates FAA reauthorization this year.

Please keep in touch. I look forward to seeing you in Vermont.

Sincerely,
Welch_sig.png

PETER WELCH
United States Senator
 

luvmy40

Elite member
I actually received a response form my senator. Can't say I have warm fuzzies from this response so I really do hope there will be some momentum behind this in a positive direction.


Thank you for contacting me about Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration requirements for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

The FAA is charged with regulating the aviation industry, from the smallest unmanned aircraft to the largest commercial airlines, and I strongly support the agency’s mission to protect public safety. As you know, current FAA regulations require operators of UAS to register their aircraft if it is over 0.55 pounds. As a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the FAA, I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate debates FAA reauthorization this year.

Please keep in touch. I look forward to seeing you in Vermont.

Sincerely,
Welch_sig.png

PETER WELCH
United States Senator
Yep, That's about what I got from my senators. Darn near verbatim. Not surprising, really. Just disapointing.
 

tamuct01

Well-known member
Their rubber stamp isn't even accurate to the rules:
"As you know, current FAA regulations require operators of UAS to register their aircraft if it is over 0.55 pounds."

Senator, that's not correct. Please familiarize yourself with the rules before replying with false information.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
 

Tench745

Master member
Their rubber stamp isn't even accurate to the rules:
"As you know, current FAA regulations require operators of UAS to register their aircraft if it is over 0.55 pounds."

Senator, that's not correct. Please familiarize yourself with the rules before replying with false information.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
In what way is that incorrect?
 

CappyAmeric

Elite member
In what way is that incorrect?
Recreational pilots are NOT required to register each aircraft above 249 grams (0.55 pounds). The regulation says that the PILOT has to register, not the aircraft. The pilot's FAA registration number is put on all his aircraft, but the aircraft are not registered.
 

Tench745

Master member
Recreational pilots are NOT required to register each aircraft above 249 grams (0.55 pounds). The regulation says that the PILOT has to register, not the aircraft. The pilot's FAA registration number is put on all his aircraft, but the aircraft are not registered.
While that is effectively true, it is not how the regulation is written.
The FAA has the authority to require registration of all aircraft, and that is the legal basis they have written the registration rules around. They are simply "allowing" one pilot to use the same registration number across multiple aircraft.
From FAA.gov
"All drones must be registered, except those that weigh 0.55 pounds or less (less than 250 grams) and are flown exclusively under the Exception for Recreational Flyers."
 

Laszlo

New member
So I sent the form letters to my Congressman and 2 Senators. My Junior Senator is on the Transportation subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which actually gives my letter some added value. I also sent the following to the AMA advocacy folks:

My main concerns with intrusive government regulations are 1) being priced out of the hobby entirely and 2) being forced to drive 40 miles roundtrip to be able to fly my 1 lb aircraft. Both of these concerns are exacerbated by the impending requirement to fly my scratch-built planes only in a FRIA because of a lack of RID. Not that long ago I could put together a small, simple aircraft and fly it in my back yard below tree level and nobody cared. Soon I won't be able to fly it unless I drive to the nearest FRIA which is slated to be 20 miles away.

In light of this, I am extremely unimpressed by the AMA advocacy group's limited efforts. Rather than higher altitudes (which I never use) at sanctioned events (which I never attend), I need the ability to fly inexpensively and conveniently. The easiest way to do this is by having the FAA raising the UAS registration and RID weight threshold to 1 kg. That would cover every RC aircraft that I own. Instead, not only are you not addressing this and focusing instead on less useful issues, you are exhibiting a most shocking level of NIHism by attempting to actively discourage members from supporting other CBOs' efforts to do so.

Please cease your irrelevant efforts before AMA itself becomes irrelevant and focus on what we actually need.


Personally, I think that the problem with AMA is that they're making too much money off of RID. The only reason I'm a member is to have use of their affiliated club's airfield. If I could fly in a local park or my back yard, they'd never see any of my money. I find their effort to suppress our letters to Congress offensive. I also find their opposition to efforts to reduce bureaucracy offensive. They are like a dysfunctional HOA.

It is very educational to compare FTCA and AMA actions - one encourages us to write to our representatives, the other tries to suppress our right to petition Congress. So who are the sleazes here?
 

Foam Folder

Active member
Office of the Ombudsman
100 Metcalfe Street 12th Floor
Ottawa Ontario
K1P 5M1

Dear Sir or Madam:
I am a senior citizen living in XXXXXX

I retired in 2004, I have observed quite a few of my fellow seniors die prematurely due to lack of things to do, (couch potatoes, lack of hobbies).
A couple of us seniors have been flying model aeroplanes, (and building model aeroplanes), for the last 25 years. Good recreation for seniors.

Transport Canada made new rules for model flying in 2019. Virtually no one flying models could get a model aeroplane pilots license. People who had been flying model aeroplanes for 50 years could not pass the exam! Here is what we have to know, please click on the link, it is lengthy;

https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/pu...-within-visual-line-sight-vlos-tp-15263#toc-1

There is no way we, 84 to 90 year olds would have much chance of passing the exam.

Drone Pilots association of Canada survey:
45% of model aeroplane flyers are 60+ years of age, 75% have no aviation experience, 63% say the regulations have nothing to do with model aircraft or safety.
Link:

Model aeroplanes have been flying for much more than 100 years without needing Transport Canada regulations.

I live at; XXXXX

I spend a lot of winter hours building simple model aeroplanes from Dollar Store foam board, all weighing less than 1kg. Transport Canada says that I am a safety hazard. The basis of their rules is the safety of aeroplanes.

I give you my address to show where I live which is beside the Grand Forks airport. The reason for this is to explain that Transport Canada is grossly exaggerating the safety hazard from our hobby. Because I live close to the airport I see already, ( March 15), canada geese flying over both ends of the airport. Later during the spring, fall, I see flocks of over 100 geese, (I have counted) flying over the airport. Geese can weigh over 6lbs! Transport Canada says I am a hazard to aircraft at 1lb 5 miles away flying my model under 400feet ! I don’t have a problem obeying rules but their rules have absolutely no logic whatsoever.

Transport Canada has a phone number to phone in case of a runaway RC plane, when I see a flock of geese flying over the runway should I report this to Transport Canada as a goose 100 times or as a flock!!!

I think Transport Canada is trying to BAN all model flying!!! For no reason.

Or Gov. of Canada wants to get rid of SENIORS by having them die off by taking away our hobby?

Hoping to hear your opinion on this subject.
Also would like a logical explanation of why they are banning us.

Sincerely;