Curtis
Stofer
, Concord
, California
, United States
Posted on
2020-02-20 20:49:59
“I started flying model airplanes with my dad when I was around 12 or so. Flying models for us is partly for fun and partly a form of practice for flying real airplanes which I am currently learning to do. I fear that the proposed rules will regulate our beloved hobby out of existence. While they would not outright ban the use of model airplanes, they would make it prohibitively expensive as well as absurdly complicated to comply with the regulations, so much so that I highly doubt the majority of model airplane and possibly drone enthusiasts will abide by them. The overwhelming majority of the community would become scofflaws while the hobby would slowly die out from a lack of ability to get new models. Rules that nobody is willing to follow cannot be said to be effective in their goals.
I feel that in regards to the law in general, and the proposed rules in particular, there needs to be a strong distinction between Line of Sight (LOS) flight and automated/FPV flight, as well as between traditional model aircraft and what the public understands colloquially as “Drones” such as quad-copters and similar craft. The legal definition of “drones” currently includes traditional, LOS model aircraft, which is not part of what the public understands to be drones, thus meaning that the language used is misleading to the general public. If there is to be fair, due process of law, then this wording must be changed such that the colloquial and legal definitions are not in significant disagreement with each other. I implore that these proposed regulations must be thought out over a much longer period than has been given with discussion from both sides of the issue beyond just the AMA as they were never before a political lobbying association and they are ill prepared to be nor were they selected by the community to do such lobbying in the first place and as such they cannot be said to represent the community. An edict handed down from on high with our only representatives being utterly unsuited for the job wherein we may explain our discontent individually, but the opposing side has no obligation to listen cannot be said to be anything other than dictatorship. This is America and we should address the root issues in suitably American ways, with fair process and democracy.”