Kevin

Bowery

, Massachusetts

, United States

Posted on
2020-02-19 2:38:31
“I started flying RC aircraft when I was seven after I saved up allowance money to buy a $20 Air Hogs helicopter that had a battery that only lasted 2 minutes on a charge. When I eventually broke it, I bought another one. I got involved with an elementary school robotics club, and stayed with that until high school. In high school my father got me my first RC car which I wanted to put a camera in since I couldn’t drive a real car yet. That’s when I found FPV drones. At that point, I saved up my money and jumped into the hobby head first. That Christmas I got a cheap(er) but reliable camera drone that I flew until all the batteries wouldn’t hold a charge. Once I got my drivers license I started getting out to fly almost every weekend. Junior year I built my first FPV quad copter and hover tested it in my back yard. After hours of work, my creation finally flew. I haven’t looked back since. Presently I have a wall of multi rotors in my dorm room (junior in college) that I proudly show off to guests. I have learned a great deal about electronic repair, RF theory, and aerodynamics (just to name a few). I got my girlfriend into the hobby, and we’ve spent many memorable weekends flying at local parks… or flying a tiny-whoop in the common rooms. This hobby has also been a source of relaxation for me. The out-of-body experience I get while soaring through trees, flipping over soccer goals, or racing around a track with friends is unmatched. All the stress of day to day life fades away and I just exist in the moment. FPV is therapeutic to me. I’ve also been able to introduce others to the hobby and teach them what I know. This is something I wish I had when I got into the hobby all those years ago. I learned through trial and error, how to repair my equipment after a crash… how to climb trees or navigate obstacles to retrieve a crashed drone, and how to teach others. This past summer I took a younger guy under my “wing” to show him the hobby. When I got to see his first drone take off after helping him learn to solder all the parts together, I felt extraordinarily proud of him. Someday I want to show my kids how to source, build, and fly an FPV quad of their own. I want to have days where my family can fly together at a park and not worry about being arrested for illegally operating RC crafts. Under the proposed FAA Remote ID regulations, this would not be possible – especially at empty town fields (where I am allowed to fly), my own property, and at locations where the true but of the surroundings can be further appreciated from a different point of view. A hobbyist should not be in fear of federal prosecution for enjoying their free time.”