New proposed FAA rule requiring remote identification for SUAVs over .55 lbs

[Twowingtj]

fredmdbud , Thanks for posting that. I knew I had seen it somewhere, but couldn't find it.


There could be a plus side to this as well. If commercial drones will be able to see our aircraft, maybe I won't loose a $3k+ bird to a collision with a large pepperoni pizza!

[F22trainer]

Model aircraft enthusiasts prove unlikely foe for Amazon

Tech industry insiders say hobbyists are effective lobbyists against commercial drones

Kiran Stacey in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

May 2 2019

Mark Kitka does not look like your average activist. A stocky former navy pilot with a neat white moustache, he has spent the last two years lovingly recreating the S3-Viking he flew for the military in near-perfect model form.But Mr Kitka is also part of a group of model aircraft enthusiasts who have proven to be one of the most effective lobby groups in the US against rules that would allow widespread commercial drone flying. Technology executives say the Academy of Model Aeronautics has been an unexpectedly powerful opponent in the race to get their aircraft airborne, adding the group is one of the main reasons Amazon and others are still unable to deliver their goods by drone. “We are all waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to come up with the rules which would allow commercial drones to fly,” said one lawyer working in the sector. “But every time the regulator proposes something that would also impinge on model aircraft hobbyists, the AMA bombards members of Congress with emails and phone calls. ”The AMA says it wants to be excluded from any rules the FAA proposes, arguing the regulator’s current proposals could cost its members a total of $2bn. Mr Kitka said the rules could mean each individual hobbyist has to pay hundreds of dollars to fit equipment to their models to allow them to be identified remotely by law enforcement or other agencies. “Putting a $1,000 transponder on aeroplanes would be the end of model aircraft flying,” he said in a recent interview at his local flying field in rural Maryland.

Under current rules, anybody in the US can buy a drone from a shop and fly it almost anywhere, except over certain protected sites. The main restrictions are that fliers cannot fly their aircraft over people, at night or, crucially, out of their line of sight. Companies wishing to fly drones where their operators cannot see them currently have to register as an airline, as Alphabet’s Wing Aviation did last month. But the cost of complying with airline safety standards is steep, and the FAA is drawing up rules that would allow drones to operate more widely. According to lawyers and industry experts, however, the main sticking point is remote identification. If commercial drones are to fly beyond the line of sight of their users, law enforcement agencies say they must be able to identify immediately who their owners are — otherwise there will be more incidents such as the one that brought London’s Gatwick airport to a standstill last December.

But given that current laws do not differentiate between drones and model aircraft, model aircraft fliers worry they will be forced to fit heavy and potentially expensive transponders to the outside of their lovingly-made devices. For some, the added weight could impede their racing performance. For others, it would detract from the perfection of their replicas.“This S3-Viking is the only one like it in the country,” said Mr. Kitka, who has fitted his model with a miniature pilot and printed his own name on the side under the cockpit window. “It is 95 per cent accurate. ”Fellow model aircraft enthusiast Rick Moreland added: “We have competitions to judge how perfect our scale models are. You don’t want anything on the model that wouldn’t be there in real life.”

Commercial drone operators, however, vociferously oppose any exemptions for model aircraft. In a submission to the regulator in 2017, the Commercial Drone Alliance argued: “For tracking regulation to be successful, it is imperative that any such regulations encompass all but the smallest and most unsophisticated UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] in order to be effective.” The regulator is due to publish its recommendations on remote identification later this year, but the date keeps getting pushed back as it looks for ways to accommodate the concerns of various groups, including the model aircraft community. The FAA said: “We look forward to engaging with the model aircraft community when the time comes to ensure the policy that is eventually implemented focuses on the safety and security of the national airspace for all participants, as well as protecting people and property on the ground, while also continuing to support a vibrant model aircraft community to the maximum extent feasible.”

Many commercial drone advocates say they have been surprised at how effective the AMA’s lobbying effort has been. “We didn’t realise they were so well connected on Capitol Hill,” said one tech industry lobbyist. A look around the clubhouse at Mr Kitka’s flying field helps explain why. Both he and Mr Moreland are former military members. Eric Holmes, another club member, is an aerospace engineer at Nasa. Ray Stinchcomb worked for years at the FAA. “The AMA have been great advocates on remote identification,” said Mark Aitken, a senior policy adviser and drone specialist at the Washington law firm Akin Gump. “They have done very well on understanding and navigating the political lay of the land.” A technology industry lobbyist put it more bluntly. “The AMA is a very powerful group in US politics. It’s something the commercial drone industry has struggled to grapple with.”

Mic drop...

Thanks!

[JFandL]

RC car racers already have very small transponders that they use to log their laps. they are around $20.00 but the range is very limited.

[fredmdbud]

Considering FFA's penchant for making things cost more than they have to...

A transponder is a rather simple radio that sends a repeating number and other limited info in a data block.

Modern electronics, that could be a device smaller than your smart phone, plug it into the proper antenna and it would be easy to do for under $50. But look at the price of a transponder.

In mass produced quantities... the remote ID (essentially a transponder) would be easy to get down to a less than 2 oz device with less than $20 each consumer price point. But you can expect the FAA and FCC to ensure the price we'll have to pay for one will be so high that it will make it impractical to continue the hobby.

My "smartphone" is higher level technology and it cost $40.

For non-FPV recreational RC fliers, the type of transponder proposed is the kind that transmits the location of the pilot, not the aircraft itself.

[fredmdbud]

ft dot com wants us to subscribe to view what you linked.

Model aircraft enthusiasts prove unlikely foe for Amazon

Tech industry insiders say hobbyists are effective lobbyists against commercial drones

Kiran Stacey in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

May 2 2019

Mark Kitka does not look like your average activist. A stocky former navy pilot with a neat white moustache, he has spent the last two years lovingly recreating the S3-Viking he flew for the military in near-perfect model form.But Mr Kitka is also part of a group of model aircraft enthusiasts who have proven to be one of the most effective lobby groups in the US against rules that would allow widespread commercial drone flying. Technology executives say the Academy of Model Aeronautics has been an unexpectedly powerful opponent in the race to get their aircraft airborne, adding the group is one of the main reasons Amazon and others are still unable to deliver their goods by drone. “We are all waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to come up with the rules which would allow commercial drones to fly,” said one lawyer working in the sector. “But every time the regulator proposes something that would also impinge on model aircraft hobbyists, the AMA bombards members of Congress with emails and phone calls. ”The AMA says it wants to be excluded from any rules the FAA proposes, arguing the regulator’s current proposals could cost its members a total of $2bn. Mr Kitka said the rules could mean each individual hobbyist has to pay hundreds of dollars to fit equipment to their models to allow them to be identified remotely by law enforcement or other agencies. “Putting a $1,000 transponder on aeroplanes would be the end of model aircraft flying,” he said in a recent interview at his local flying field in rural Maryland.

Under current rules, anybody in the US can buy a drone from a shop and fly it almost anywhere, except over certain protected sites. The main restrictions are that fliers cannot fly their aircraft over people, at night or, crucially, out of their line of sight. Companies wishing to fly drones where their operators cannot see them currently have to register as an airline, as Alphabet’s Wing Aviation did last month. But the cost of complying with airline safety standards is steep, and the FAA is drawing up rules that would allow drones to operate more widely. According to lawyers and industry experts, however, the main sticking point is remote identification. If commercial drones are to fly beyond the line of sight of their users, law enforcement agencies say they must be able to identify immediately who their owners are — otherwise there will be more incidents such as the one that brought London’s Gatwick airport to a standstill last December.

But given that current laws do not differentiate between drones and model aircraft, model aircraft fliers worry they will be forced to fit heavy and potentially expensive transponders to the outside of their lovingly-made devices. For some, the added weight could impede their racing performance. For others, it would detract from the perfection of their replicas.“This S3-Viking is the only one like it in the country,” said Mr. Kitka, who has fitted his model with a miniature pilot and printed his own name on the side under the cockpit window. “It is 95 per cent accurate. ”Fellow model aircraft enthusiast Rick Moreland added: “We have competitions to judge how perfect our scale models are. You don’t want anything on the model that wouldn’t be there in real life.”

Commercial drone operators, however, vociferously oppose any exemptions for model aircraft. In a submission to the regulator in 2017, the Commercial Drone Alliance argued: “For tracking regulation to be successful, it is imperative that any such regulations encompass all but the smallest and most unsophisticated UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] in order to be effective.” The regulator is due to publish its recommendations on remote identification later this year, but the date keeps getting pushed back as it looks for ways to accommodate the concerns of various groups, including the model aircraft community. The FAA said: “We look forward to engaging with the model aircraft community when the time comes to ensure the policy that is eventually implemented focuses on the safety and security of the national airspace for all participants, as well as protecting people and property on the ground, while also continuing to support a vibrant model aircraft community to the maximum extent feasible.”

Many commercial drone advocates say they have been surprised at how effective the AMA’s lobbying effort has been. “We didn’t realise they were so well connected on Capitol Hill,” said one tech industry lobbyist. A look around the clubhouse at Mr Kitka’s flying field helps explain why. Both he and Mr Moreland are former military members. Eric Holmes, another club member, is an aerospace engineer at Nasa. Ray Stinchcomb worked for years at the FAA. “The AMA have been great advocates on remote identification,” said Mark Aitken, a senior policy adviser and drone specialist at the Washington law firm Akin Gump. “They have done very well on understanding and navigating the political lay of the land.” A technology industry lobbyist put it more bluntly. “The AMA is a very powerful group in US politics. It’s something the commercial drone industry has struggled to grapple with.”

[fredmdbud]

Well, the FAA is a Department of Transportation agency, just like the armed forces fall under DoD, and Border & Customs and ICE fall under DHS.

[F22trainer]

Here is the text release from the FAA. Notice this is a proposed rule from Department of Transportation.
Press Release – U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Proposed Rule on Remote ID for Drones

https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=24534

[JFandL]

Good points JFandL............ I really hate to feel like I do but the Fed's are pushing and pushing and I am just not willing to consent anymore. Enough is enough! For me, regardless of what they sign into law, I will continue flying R/C just as I have for 30 years. Will anyone come after me? probably not, unless I am doing something stupid like buzzing a police officer driving down the road and that's NEVER gonna happen so I guess they will just have to do what they have to do.

So, to those of you who will comply without a fight, I ask you, where does this power grab end? If the AMA and all us hobbyists willingly give in without a fight, what will be next? We will be allowed to fly on certain days of the week? Only during certain hours of the day? Have to sign in at some local government office prior to flying? Is this ridiculous? H_LL YES IT IS but, as long as we all go along with whatever the FAA throws at us it could very well be the new norm! If this insanity is not stopped before long, we could eventually fall victim to the same rules and laws that affect real pilots. I think what most fail to understand; if you give any government (aka FAA in this case) an inch, they will take thousands of miles. I witnessed this form of "power grab" with my own eyes and ears working for city & county governments through the years. It is NOT something that won't happen! It can happen and they are laying the ground work for it right now.

If the AMA is "fighting so hard for us", why have they not contacted me/us asking for my/our input/contribution to fight this? Why has the AMA not formed regional and or district councils that are compiling polls and data from us fliers to use against this crap? Where are the requests for action from us? Where is the AMA "complaint requests" links and letters stating our stand on protecting our freedoms and rights as R/C fliers? As a AMA member, I have not been contacted one time by them asking for support to fight this. Why? Why are there no petitions being sent out to us to sign? Why are there no district or regional meetings organized by the AMA to gain more support? H_ll, I'll drive to the closest and largest city to get involved. However, these are rhetorical questions, I'm very confident in my answers as I have made very clear a couple times above.

DO NOT misunderstand, as I said before. I spent many years enforcing the State Laws of Texas as a Police Officer. I am NOT a rebel rouser or anything of the sort. I am a law abiding, tax paying citizen who is fed up watching the fed's constantly looking for new ways to infringe on our freedoms. However, if they push this garbage through into law, I guess I will officially a "law breaker", LOL. There are thousands of other more important issues facing America's security that they should be worried about and not meddling in our hobby. Again, if drones are the issue, go after and restrict the ones who are causing the problems!

I know some of you may find my remarks offensive, I'm not here to offend so please don't take it that way..

I'm going to fly no matter what happens. Right now the FAA could not enforce anything, no money it's all going for the grand Impeachment for the last two years. We really don't know what if anything will happen for sure. Like I said no matter what they say I'm flying! I think what you said is just fine after all its how you feel and that I can respect. As a Vet I could really unload on D.C. but this is for sure not the right place for that, LOL

[fhhuber]

Considering FFA's penchant for making things cost more than they have to...

A transponder is a rather simple radio that sends a repeating number and other limited info in a data block.

Modern electronics, that could be a device smaller than your smart phone, plug it into the proper antenna and it would be easy to do for under $50. But look at the price of a transponder.

In mass produced quantities... the remote ID (essentially a transponder) would be easy to get down to a less than 2 oz device with less than $20 each consumer price point. But you can expect the FAA and FCC to ensure the price we'll have to pay for one will be so high that it will make it impractical to continue the hobby.

My "smartphone" is higher level technology and it cost $40.

[fhhuber]

ft dot com wants us to subscribe to view what you linked.

[fredmdbud]

https://www.ft.com/content/2574825c-6794-11e9-a79d-04f350474d62

[Twowingtj]

The comment period on this proposed rule is not yet open.

Once AMA has digested this, there will be another Call to Action campaign. We ALL, whether AMA or not, respond in force. And loudly.

This is not a done deal and it affects us all.

[T-CAT]

I'm okay with sensible rules and guidelines to enhance safety and knowledge. However, some things end up beyond sensible and unfair. As the saying goes, you give an inch and they take a mile, which is what this is reminding me of.

[CVA59]

You know guys years ago you had to have a FCC to fly RC. Also the FCC made CB'ers pay for field FCC enforcement rules local. The FAA maybe looking for ways to pay for this, I'm sure their under the gun from this Congress we have for sure. For now its really wait and see what they plan to really do. The big Company's out there maybe pushing to get little Johnny out their airspace so they can run their drones in all airspace. Who knows.

Good points JFandL............ I really hate to feel like I do but the Fed's are pushing and pushing and I am just not willing to consent anymore. Enough is enough! For me, regardless of what they sign into law, I will continue flying R/C just as I have for 30 years. Will anyone come after me? probably not, unless I am doing something stupid like buzzing a police officer driving down the road and that's NEVER gonna happen so I guess they will just have to do what they have to do.

So, to those of you who will comply without a fight, I ask you, where does this power grab end? If the AMA and all us hobbyists willingly give in without a fight, what will be next? We will be allowed to fly on certain days of the week? Only during certain hours of the day? Have to sign in at some local government office prior to flying? Is this ridiculous? H_LL YES IT IS but, as long as we all go along with whatever the FAA throws at us it could very well be the new norm! If this insanity is not stopped before long, we could eventually fall victim to the same rules and laws that affect real pilots. I think what most fail to understand; if you give any government (aka FAA in this case) an inch, they will take thousands of miles. I witnessed this form of "power grab" with my own eyes and ears working for city & county governments through the years. It is NOT something that won't happen! It can happen and they are laying the ground work for it right now.

If the AMA is "fighting so hard for us", why have they not contacted me/us asking for my/our input/contribution to fight this? Why has the AMA not formed regional and or district councils that are compiling polls and data from us fliers to use against this crap? Where are the requests for action from us? Where is the AMA "complaint requests" links and letters stating our stand on protecting our freedoms and rights as R/C fliers? As a AMA member, I have not been contacted one time by them asking for support to fight this. Why? Why are there no petitions being sent out to us to sign? Why are there no district or regional meetings organized by the AMA to gain more support? H_ll, I'll drive to the closest and largest city to get involved. However, these are rhetorical questions, I'm very confident in my answers as I have made very clear a couple times above.

DO NOT misunderstand, as I said before. I spent many years enforcing the State Laws of Texas as a Police Officer. I am NOT a rebel rouser or anything of the sort. I am a law abiding, tax paying citizen who is fed up watching the fed's constantly looking for new ways to infringe on our freedoms. However, if they push this garbage through into law, I guess I will officially a "law breaker", LOL. There are thousands of other more important issues facing America's security that they should be worried about and not meddling in our hobby. Again, if drones are the issue, go after and restrict the ones who are causing the problems!

I know some of you may find my remarks offensive, I'm not here to offend so please don't take it that way..

[JFandL]

You know guys years ago you had to have a FCC to fly RC. Also the FCC made CB'ers pay for field FCC enforcement rules local. The FAA maybe looking for ways to pay for this, I'm sure their under the gun from this Congress we have for sure. For now its really wait and see what they plan to really do. The big Company's out there maybe pushing to get little Johnny out their airspace so they can run their drones in all airspace. Who knows.

[Twowingtj]

I, in no way, can speak to most of the AMA issues. I will speak to what I can as a volunteer AMA District II Associate VP and the RC Event Sanction Coordinator for all of Dist II.

As AVPs, we don't have any more information on this situation than you do. Part of the reason is that this is a very fluid situation. We try to help clubs and members as best we can.

As Sanction Coordinator, I've had to go to AMA Govt Affairs for direction on events not held at AMA club sites. They haven't been able to give guidance because they don't have it from the FAA themselves. Even my local FAA reps, who I've delt with for years, don't have the answers from their top levels. All because it's a very fluid situation.

It's clear in the Rule Making document that AMA has had some influence. Likely one of only a couple of organizations representing modeling at all. These organizations can only be as strong as the voice of it's membership. In the last AMA campaign, less than 1/2 of it's membership contacted their elected officials. In an organization of only about 180k, that's not a loud voice.

AMA doesn't control the FAA. They, at best, can try to prevent things from being as bad as they might otherwise be. They are trying to keep us able to fly period, when the furture of the airspace will likely be busy indeed.

Will in be a PITA? Yep. Is it frustrating? Hell yes. Is it he end of the world or the hobby? No.

CVA59, Please consider that the FAA really doesn't want to take on this headache and extra workload. It was mandated by Congress, who controls their purse strings..

[CVA59]

Seems to me the main thrust of the rules are to anticipate the flood of UAVs from companies such as Amazon, Google, etc., which could also have impact on recreational modelers (deliveries crossing over flight areas).

I still say the predominate reason the FAA is involved is nothing more than a power grab! When you control everything, you can control everything!

[fredmdbud]

Seems to me the main thrust of the rules are to anticipate the flood of UAVs from companies such as Amazon, Google, etc., which could also have impact on recreational modelers (deliveries crossing over flight areas).

[CVA59]

The AMA has been working hard to protect the RC flying hobby

I respectfully disagree. If they are working hard, it is not in the areas where our hobby needs it the most. I have seen and continue to see the AMA sway in a direction that is not always conducive protecting our rights as a hobbyist. I have seen this trend for some time now. I have spoken to some of the AMA District reps and several email exchanges. Every time, every conversation, and every email response shows no aggressive nature/desire to fight back against the Fed's as this insanity continues to evolve. The AMA is only going to go so far. When they feel they have reached their limit with the Fed's, they will not stand and fight. If they truly felt about our hobby the way most of us do, they would be fighting the Fed's and using whatever tactics they need to use to protect this hobby. Today the AMA is a big corporate machine and that is a large part of the problem.

Sorry to all those who disagree, my comments are based on my own experiences, observations and discussions regarding the AMA. In fact, a few weeks ago, I sent a very respectful and very polite email to the AMA "again" explaining my stand on rejecting this "possible" new rule for us and they will not even reply. Isn't it strange when someone exposes certain aspects of why they will only go so far for us, the conversation stops. Again, I truly hope they everyone does not think the AMA was built to what it is today by memberships alone. They like so many other will NEVER bit the hand that feeds them.


EIGHT REQUIREMENTS FOR FLYING RECREATIONAL SUAS

• Fly strictly for recreational purposes. As always
• Fly under or within the programming of a Community-Based Organization. Until CBO’s are officially recognized, you can use any organizations safety guidelines that do not conflict with the FAA. More BS!!!!!, I fly various places that aren't part of a community based organization!!
• Fly within the visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft or a visual observer co-located and in direct communication with the operator. As Always
• Currently, recreational sUAS are restricted to Class G airspace, or authorized fixed flying sites withing other classes of airspace. This is due to ATC management no longer being allowed to authorize flights. In order to remedy this, the FAA is modifying the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) for recreational flyers, which the FAA has announced that it will be available July 23rd, 2019. For more information, see AC 91-75B, or our response.
• Operate the aircraft in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft. Again, I have never flown and never will fly in conflict with manned aircraft!
• Stay below 400 feet above ground level (AGL). No issues here!
• The operator has passed an aeronautical knowledge exam. NEVER gonna happen!!! I have been flying too long to have to take an "exam"!!!
• If your sUAS is between 250g (.55lbs) and 25kg (55lbs) you must register with the FAA and put your registration number on the outside of your aircraft. I've done this and this is as far as I will go with this insanity!

[Twowingtj]

The AMA has been working hard to protect the RC flying hobby but, the bottom line is that we are a tiny part of the demographics operating in the National Airspace. The AMA is even a small part of the RC flying population. As such, there is only so much infuence that can be wielded when going up against large commercial interests.

The proposed rule is a lengthy document and much of it doesn't apply to us hobbyists. Based on what I have read, I found a decent "boided down" version as it applies to us. The source is from the FPV Freedom Coalition. Don't let the name sway your opinion. They, like us, don't like the trouble the bad actors cause us all.

Here's the link. It's an elightening read. You'll need to click on the black bar at the top of the page.