“Flying matters to me because I am a disabled veteran. I’ve been dealing, mentally, with my challenging condition for decades unable to be employed at a normal job. This hobby allows me to work from home supplementing our income and building a business I can do on my own time while at the same time providing items used for scratch building. These scratch built planes allow families to have a fun, educational, and rewarding hobby, are used in STEM programs throughout the country, and are used by college aerospace and other departments to study aerodynamics and host competitions providing education and learning at several levels. On a personal level, flying means a great deal to me because I can get out and socialize with friends and family at flying events. I look forward to meeting with my friends at the flying field to sit around, joke, and have fun talking and flying airplane stuff. When the weather does not allow for flying, I am designing my own aircraft and building. I was dealing with a lot of depression because of my condition, this hobby has helped me have something to look forward to both in the house and out at the field. This hobby has allowed me to help be a part of many activities such as being a president for two years, vice president for two years, taking the club from 12 members to nearly 40, assisting in bringing aerospace education into a local school, starting our club’s flight instruction program, and being an instructor. Being an instructor is very rewarding having helped teach people to fly from all ages. I have memories of teaching a 4 year old girl and immediately after her was a 92 year old World War 2 veteran. These are memories and positive educational moments for myself, and others, could not happen without model aviation. I am deeply concerned that if the FAA restricts our hobby to the point I am unable to fly on my own property or continue my business, I will most likely go back to the dark place I was before in my depression. This… this is what I fear the most from the FAA’s rules. As they currently sit, I believe the entire hobby will disappear in time along with any chance to make new memories, laughs, and social time centered around RC aviation.”