Sam

Pond

, Connecticut

, United States

Posted on
2020-02-23 19:09:52
“I have been a recreational model aircraft pilot for over six years. I was able to get into this hobby with the help of Flite Test and other enthusiasts who share their knowledge online, and who proved that the costs and knowledge required to enter this hobby is achievable by any individual. These new regulations are very concerning because they will add extra layers of complexity to what is required to participate in the hobby. It will discourage new individuals from entering the hobby, and add extra burden to those already in the hobby. For amateur pilots who design and build their own aircraft, these regulations will be very difficult to abide by. All of the pilots I know do not fly in club fields or locations that will likely become FAA approved locations. These areas are often too far away to practically use, are of no interest for the style of flying, or have clubs with conflicting interests. The only way to fly with these regulations will then be to comply with remote ID specifications. This will add additional complexity and burden to any amateur modeller. The requirements will be so burdensome to meet that I believe it is likely most pilots will ignore the requirements. If a form of remote ID is necessary, I would much prefer it to be a simpler system; for example a phone app based flight plan filer, that would utilize something most people already own (a smartphone) and not require any additional purchases or installations by the user. This system would be much easier for people to adopt and actually comply to.”