'Hobby drones' soar into national airspace
I'm sure you've noticed the significant increase in media attention given to the unmanned aircraft issue in the past several weeks. Most of these articles have sensational titles such as "Drones, Coming to a Neighborhood Near You" or "Drones, the New Eye in the Sky—Are We Ready?"
Nearly all of these articles use the term "drone," either in the title or in the text, and are seemingly intent on dramatizing the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) issue, as if this subject isn't complicated enough.
Much of the attention given to the UAS topic has been prompted by the recent passage of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The same law that includes protection for model aviation also directs the FAA to "develop a comprehensive plan to safely accelerate the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system," and to "provide for the safe integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system as soon as practicable, but not later than September 30, 2015."
This has been seen by many as a rush to deploy this technology in the civil environment and has raised a host of questions regarding privacy, security, and civil liberties—none of which relates to the current harmonious existence of model aircraft operations.
Generally, the term "drone" is a military term that dates back to World War II when target drones were used for gunnery practice. Although it is in the vernacular when referring to unmanned aircraft, the term carries with it a threatening and almost foreboding connotation that does not equate to anything within the spectrum of aircraft operated by the aeromodeling community. However, this word is pervasive in the media and has been used to depict everything from the 22,000-pound Northrop Grumman Global Hawk to AeroVironment's 19-gram Nano Hummingbird.
The following was described in a recent article published on Scientific American's website by Prof. John Villasenor of UCLA:
"Model airplanes have been around for well over a hundred years and actually predate manned flight. Models have been used for decades to test aircraft design theories and to validate full-scale performance. Some models are small-scale replicas of real airplanes; others are original designs intended for sport or competitive activities. In many cases, they are built to stunningly precise levels of detail. Most, though not all, model airplanes today are flown by radio remote control.
"Model aircraft are flown by thousands of enthusiasts with a common interest in aviation and a love for watching their aircraft fly and perform. For this reason, models are largely flown within visual line of sight and in the presence of an operator who watches and maintains control of the airplane during flight. That alone is enough to place model airplanes cleanly outside the boundaries of 'drone.'"
The telling difference between model aircraft and what are otherwise referred to as "drones" is the intent and purpose of their flights. In simple terms, model aircraft are flown for the elation of causing the aircraft to take flight and the pure joy of watching it fly. This is what sustains the hobby and what has mesmerized modelers for decades.
Please keep in mind, the sUAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) remains on the horizon and is still a significant issue for the modeling community. Make sure everyone you know is aware of the impending regulation, and ensure that everyone who shares our love for this hobby is well informed and participates in the response to the proposed sUAS rule when the NPRM is published. Timely updates regarding the sUAS rulemaking can also be found on Facebook by liking "AMAGov," and on Twitter at @AMAGov.
—Rich Hanson Government and Regulatory Affairs [email protected]
AMA in Action - 2012/06
Four Years and Counting: Defending Your Flying Privileges
Since 2008, the Academy's government relations team, headed by Rich Hanson, has doggedly worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to represent and defend aeromodeling from what we perceive to be a misguided attempt to place overreaching and onerous restrictions on aeromodeling. Not included in the timeline below are countless meetings, phone calls, and emails.
If you have a question for the team, write to [email protected]. Visit the government-relations section of our website regularly for updates at www.modelaircraft.org/gov.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
