AMA is dependent upon our members' involvement
From the Copilot's Seat by Gary Fitch, Executive Vice President
I write this at the end of March and, although the calendar says it is spring, there is still a foot of snow to melt before I can say that spring is actually here. At least many of you in the South and West can get outside to fly. Yes, I know I'm whining, but I'm sure you can understand that flying in a gym isn't quite the same as being outside with gas or glow engines running. On to more important information.
There are 162 bills in state legislatures and 12 bills in the federal legislature that involve privacy, sUAS, and other issues concerning drones, model aircraft, etc., on the dockets. We are working on the national bills such as the new FAA Reauthorization Bill, which we plan on being a part of, just as in 2012.
We need our members to check their own state dockets and, working through your district vice presidents and associate vice presidents, determine what bills might require your intervention. AMA does not have the manpower or resources to address proposed state bills and is dependent upon our members' involvement.
Our experience has been that when you educate those who are proposing onerous legislation, their approach changes—typically providing an exclusion for model aviation, including FPV, quadcopters, and multirotors, when flown by the rules of a community-based organization, namely AMA.
In late February, Bob Brown, Dave Mathewson, Rich Hanson, our lobbyist, and I met with representatives of the FAA in Washington, D.C. We entered the Federal Building on Independence Avenue and were required to go through the same type of security screening that you see at airports.
We waited for our FAA escort, who took us to the top floor. We sat at a large, round conference table for our meeting with the number-two person in the FAA, Margaret "Peggy" Gilligan, Associate Administrator; John Hickey, Deputy Associate Administrator; Jim Williams, UAS Program Manager; nine attorneys; and two people from the U.S. Department of Justice.
We had asked for this meeting, and found these people to be cordial. We discussed our partnership with the Know Before You Fly education program. This is a positive initiative that we are taking with the FAA and both parties are encouraged by its progress. The FAA is even developing an app for cell phones and tablets and offered to include a link to the AMA website on this app!
I believe we are working with good people who have an interest in helping us move model aviation forward.
We also discussed the long-awaited FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that had just been released concerning sUAS and expressed that we were happy with the recognition that model aircraft operated within the programming of AMA should not be subject to new regulations, just as Congress said in 2012. We will encourage our members to provide input on that point during the NPRM comment period. The FAA was appreciative of this.
We then asked about the status of AMA's comments and those of its members that were submitted concerning the FAA's Interpretation of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft in July 2014, pertaining to the Special Rule of 2012. There are five issues concerning this interpretation that we want to see changed. AMA filed a lawsuit last year concerning this, which is currently held in abeyance until the FAA vets all 33,000 comments.
We were basically told that they can't discuss this because they haven't completed the vetting process and because of the suit that has been filed. I feel that the most logical approach, after the comments have been vetted, will be to sit down again with the FAA to see if we can discuss the interpretive rule and reach the right outcome for our members. It is ironic, though, that we—the very people who are trying to help the FAA—are the ones who will be directly affected by the FAA's interpretive rule if it is allowed to become law. Time will tell.
"Thank you" is something that I frequently hear from our members. I have attended many events, shows, fun-flys, and seminars this year, and at each event our members express their gratitude for AMA's efforts on their behalf.
I was really moved when, after making a brief announcement to the pilots at the North East Ohio Electric Festival in Akron, Ohio, in March, a 14-year-old named Max came up to me, shook my hand, and thanked AMA for all it is doing for modelers. As quickly as that he was gone and I didn't get his last name.
Although I realize that our efforts with all government agencies are for the benefit of all of model aviation, this encounter took me by surprise. Young people are typically focused on flying and having fun with their buddies. Here was Max, representing our future, making a point to express his appreciation to AMA for protecting his hobby.
Max, you and all of our members who have said thank you make our efforts worthwhile. I have often said to members that we work for you, and your appreciation really recharges our energy levels. Thank you!
I appreciate you reading this far, and for all of the support you provide. Until next time, please help secure the future of our hobby and take a youngster flying!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
