Leon
, Clearwater
, Florida
, United States
Posted on
2020-02-20 21:27:15
“As an FPV pilot, I truely love this hobby. It’s not only about the flying. I love building, hanging out with friends, and introducing this hobby to those who have never seen it before.
I consider FPV flying a high form of meditation. Because our flight is not automated, it requires a high level of concentration from the pilot. You have to focus on what your doing. To me this is a major stress reliever.
With regards to FPV, I feel it should be exempt from these new policies. We simply fly where no other aircraft can go. There is no fun flying in an empty field (like many if not all AMA fields), nor is there any reason to fly at high altitudes (because of the design of our crafts and the flight time limitations because of the battery size).
FPV pilots like to fly close to the ground, just over and through trees, in and out of buildings, and diving mountain passes. One thing all of these have in common, we simply do not interfere with other manned aircraft.
Also our batteries only last for 3-5 minutes. This is very short compared to those larger commercial drones that can fly for 20-30 minutes or even more.
So does it really make sense to force FPV pilots to use equipment that will broadcast position when we are flying under the tree lines, or close to buildings, and doing so for 3 minutes at a time?
NPRM makes sense for larger crafts, even for commercial use, but it simply does not make sense for hobbyists. Is the FAA really going to sit there an monitor this?
So since we operation so close to the ground, how about the FAA just gives us an exemption. Currently they limit us to 400 feet, so why not give us a 200 foot exemption?
If anything hobbyist have a track record of safety!! We respect the rules, and go out of our way to self regulate and maintain safety. We honor no fly zones and present very little risk to manned flight. Just look at how long modelist have been flying without incident.
Also the FAA needs to realize being in this hobby is NOT cheap!! Every time we fly, we do so at great expense. That fact in itself makes us operate with as little risk as possible.
I can’t help but feel that the FAA is not familiar with the nuances of this community or the people in it. We are not your average joe that just walks into Best Buy buys a drone and just starts flying. We INVEST in this hobby. Not just money, but time and knowledge. We inovate, we create jobs, and we give back to this community. I would hate to see the FAA pass policies that will kill this hobby and industry.
Thank you,
Leon”