How can I fly legally?
- Thread starter GingerFly
- Start date
CappyAmeric
Elite member
What country?
GingerFly
New member
The one and only U.S.A.
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
The rules have been "ever changing" recently as the FAA has been enacting more and more rules, you can start here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/.
If your going to fly commercially - "For the furtherance of a business",
If your going to fly commercially - "For the furtherance of a business",
- then you need a part 107 (and follow the rules of that license)
- you need to register every one of your craft with the FAA
- you have to follow UAS airspace flight restrictions
- You need to take the "trust" "test" and carry your certificate with you
- [Eventually] You need to follow the expectations of a CBO (There are no recognized CBOs yes, but per the "trust" "test" you need to do this)
- you need to register with the FAA if you have anything that has a launch weight of 250g or higher (it is listed as .55lb in the rules) and label your craft with your hobbyist registration number
- you have to follow UAS airspace flight restrictions (desktop lookup for restrictions: https://b4ufly.aloft.ai/)
boogieloo
Active member
I think if you are a lawyer and your client had an accident, the FAA ruling is relaxed. As far as owning a model airplane and flying it at parks and or runways. The FAA won't even know anyone owns a model airplane and have no means to check to see who owns one. This is America. Anyone can buy and anyone can build. Anyone can fly it. Capitalism and free enterprise runs rampant. So FAA ruling is really for show. And probably no affect.
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
you can think that all you want, but if you do something that pulls the attention of the FAA, like flying your stuff near an airport, then your going to be looked through the rules and deal with them as such. But unless your an actual lawyer that has dealt with the FAA, I wouldn't tell people what would/might happen if it gets to that point.
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
That is one of few post by you that I LOVE!!!!!!!
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
That is the one part that I don’t like. NEVER fly by an airport or runway without permission.
TheFlyingBrit
Legendary member
In the UK we do follow the rules and register as an operator and flyer with the CAA, plus we display a registration number (which is unique to each flyer) in our models. Before we can register we are expected to take and pass a test every 3 years, to ensure we are aware of new policies and regulations.
That way god forbid if an accident occurs as a result of an RC model, it can be traced to the owner/flyer. That is why all responsible flyers in the UK also join the BMFA to ensure they have adequate liability insurance.
Only control line models and sub 250 g toys are exempt.
Anyone not registered is effectively a criminal. If they are caught flying by the police, without having the operator and flyer registrations they can be prosecuted under UK law.
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
I did not say anything about the UK. You are very correct in some of this. But if you keep obeying rule after rule they will find no limit and you will be completely cut out of all you own and do. At some point you have to go from compliance to defiance. This is true in all of life. Be it RC models or the United States crappy government. The only way any of this is going to get fixed is if we all get off of our scaredy couches and say NO
TheFlyingBrit
Legendary member
I like the way you think, but sadly the hobby has gone in to decline in the UK and most of the members of the BMFA are, "lets say" of the older generation who like to remain compliant and not rock the boat.
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
True that is why I have not started any real fights yet.
Monte.C
...
It's more fun to ignore dumb rules. 
But only ignore these rules if you're not stupid and you have a generous supply of common sense. Like airports, military bases, midtown in your city, over the heads of the middle school soccer game with moms all around, etc.
Use your good judgment.
Go on guys, get all serious and start railing on me. I'm waiting.
But only ignore these rules if you're not stupid and you have a generous supply of common sense. Like airports, military bases, midtown in your city, over the heads of the middle school soccer game with moms all around, etc.
Use your good judgment.
Go on guys, get all serious and start railing on me. I'm waiting.
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
Good! I like that!It's more fun to ignore dumb rules.
But only ignore these rules if you're not stupid and you have a generous supply of common sense. Like airports, military bases, midtown in your city, over the heads of the middle school soccer game with moms all around, etc.
Use your good judgment.
Go on guys, get all serious and start railing on me. I'm waiting.
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
Yes! Never fly in stupid places.It's more fun to ignore dumb rules.
But only ignore these rules if you're not stupid and you have a generous supply of common sense. Like airports, military bases, midtown in your city, over the heads of the middle school soccer game with moms all around, etc.
Use your good judgment.
Go on guys, get all serious and start railing on me. I'm waiting.
Droneflyer200
Active member
Really guys we have a few karens and the media that has us tied up in all this red tape. This all came to a head when Quad copter drones flown by a few boneheads raised the Eyer of the public. The hobby of RC modeling has been around for close to 50 years with no major accident or fatalities world wide. Governments just want to control everything an honest risk assessment would prove alot of these rules are unneccsary
Piotrsko
Master member
More like 75+ years. The government does this thing every 20 or so years, all the modelers go all goofy, but the ending is workable. You dont have 5 watt transmitters that occupy a meg of bandwidth, you cant fly something that weighs 50 lbs anymore..........you also don't spend a months take home pay for one plane RTF, and they sure cant stop the market flooding of cheap nonconforming chinese hardware
