AMA-Hold Off On FAA Registration

Tony

Tony

Staff member
Below is the email I just received from the AMA. They are advising everyone hold off on registering with the FAA until further notice, or Feb. 19th.

AMA Email said:
Dear AMA Members,

Yesterday, the AMA Executive Council unanimously approved an action plan to relieve and further protect our members from unnecessary and burdensome regulations. This plan addresses the recently announced interim rule requiring federal registration of all model aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds.

AMA has long used a similar registration system with our members, which we pointed out during the task force deliberations and in private conversations with the FAA. As you are aware, AMA's safety program instructs all members to place his or her AMA number or name and address on or within their model aircraft, effectively accomplishing the safety and accountability objectives of the interim rule. AMA has also argued that the new registration rule runs counter to Congress' intent in Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, otherwise known as the "Special Rule for Model Aircraft."

The Council is considering all legal and political remedies to address this issue. We believe that resolution to the unnecessary federal registration rule for our members rests with AMA's petition before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. This petition, filed in August 2014, asks the court to review the FAA's interpretation of the "Special Rule for Model Aircraft." The central issue is whether the FAA has the authority to expand the definition of aircraft to include model aircraft; thus, allowing the agency to establish new standards and operating criteria to which model aircraft operators have never been subject to in the past.

In promulgating its interim rule for registration earlier this week, the FAA repeatedly stated that model aircraft are aircraft, despite the fact that litigation is pending on this very question. The Council believes the FAA's reliance on its interpretation of Section 336 for legal authority to compel our members to register warrants the Court's immediate attention to AMA's petition.

While we continue to believe that registration makes sense at some threshold and for flyers operating outside of a community-based organization or flying for commercial purposes, we also strongly believe our members are not the problem and should not have to bear the burden of additional regulations. Safety has been the cornerstone of our organization for 80 years and AMA's members strive to be a part of the solution.

As we proceed with this process, we suggest AMA members hold off on registering their model aircraft with the FAA until advised by the AMA or until February 19, the FAA's legal deadline for registering existing model aircraft.

Holding off on registration will allow AMA time to fully consider all possible options. On a parallel track, it also allows AMA to complete ongoing conversations with the FAA about how best to streamline the registration process for our members.

In the near future, we will also be asking our members to make their voices heard by submitting comments to the FAA's interim rule on registration. We will follow-up soon with more detailed information on how to do this.

Thank you for your continued support of AMA. We will provide you with more updates as they become available.

Kind regards,



The AMA Executive Council

Bob Brown, AMA President
Gary Fitch, AMA Executive Vice President
Andy Argenio, AMA Vice President, District I
Eric Williams, AMA Vice President, District II
Mark Radcliff, AMA Vice President, District III
Jay Marsh, AMA Vice President, District IV
Kris Dixon, AMA Vice President, District V
Randy Cameron, AMA Vice President, District VI
Tim Jesky, AMA Vice President, District VII
Mark Johnston, AMA Vice President, District VIII
Jim Tiller, AMA Vice President, District IX
Lawrence Tougas, AMA Vice President, District X
Chuck Bower, AMA Vice President, District XI
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B

Bill Lowen

Member
I saw this email too but here is the rub. If we wait until Feb and the AMA is unsuccessful in their attempts to have this decision reversed, it is going to cost us $5 because we are outside of the 30 day window. I wonder if the AMA is going to pick that fee up by reducing our annual fee by $5. I do not have a problem registering myself with the FAA, I just don't want to pay for it. They government gets my money in other ways, they don't need another $5 from me.
 
RandyDSok

RandyDSok

Well-Known Member
Bill Lowen said:
I saw this email too but here is the rub. If we wait until Feb and the AMA is unsuccessful in their attempts to have this decision reversed, it is going to cost us $5 because we are outside of the 30 day window. I wonder if the AMA is going to pick that fee up by reducing our annual fee by $5. I do not have a problem registering myself with the FAA, I just don't want to pay for it. They government gets my money in other ways, they don't need another $5 from me.
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I'm wondering if the Feb wasn't a mistake and they may had meant January instead... Either way, if someone is concerned about getting their $5 back for any reason ( like they just don't deserve our money ).... just file before the 30 day deadline
 
Tony

Tony

Staff member
The reason they said Feb is because that is what the FAA deemed a deadline for those owning a "drone" before Dec 21. However, if you purchase one AFTER Dec 21, then you must register BEFORE flying it. They state very clearly in their FAQ that this is "Federal Law" so there must be a statute on it, but no one can seem to find it. There is nothing from any court stating this is law, there is nothing posted on their site of proof that this is law, they are just saying "Federal Law Requires Aircraft Registration". Not "drone" registration, but "Aircraft".
 
RandyDSok

RandyDSok

Well-Known Member
With the FAA's deadline coming up... and today being the last day you can "register" for free... once again it seems to me that the AMA has not been successful at fulfilling their promises to their members to help protect us against the FAA regulations... this after they had the gaul to up their own membership fee's by 50% to $75 ... I'm seeing less and less reasons to maintain my membership
 
B

Bill Lowen

Member
rdsok said:
With the FAA's deadline coming up... and today being the last day you can "register" for free... once again it seems to me that the AMA has not been successful at fulfilling their promises to their members to help protect us against the FAA regulations... this after they had the gaul to up their own membership fee's by 50% to $75 ... I'm seeing less and less reasons to maintain my membership
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My thoughts are that the AMA is a private organization and the FAA is federal so basically it is a David vs Goliath scenario. We fly model aircraft and if the FAA sees us as a risk to full scale aviation, (which, you have to admit there are people out there doing stupid things with these quads) you better believe the FAA is going to cover themselves in the event some idiot with a quad brings an airliner full of passengers down and there is loss of life. The first thing a personal injury lawyer is going to ask the FAA is why did this happen and what did you do to prevent it? There is no way the AMA is going to be able to fight this battle with the FAA and I will be very surprised if the FAA reverses its decision. I can’t fault the AMA for this.
 
S

SIXFOOTER

Member
I think your right, and that at some point there is going to be an incident that takes someones life. Thats the day they start banning us
 
RandyDSok

RandyDSok

Well-Known Member
No amount of legislation has ever stopped people from doing stupid stuff. The FAA isn't liable for the actions taken by pilots ( stupid or otherwise )... a lawyer wouldn't be asking the question of why to them. Congress made it clear that the FAA was to not impose other limits or regulations on hobby modelists... this is in direct opposition to that ruling made by Congress and that is the direction that AMA has grounds to fight this on. Had the AMA been on it's game, they'd have gotten this brought up in court and had an injunction put on the FAA from moving forward until a full hearing could be had.

IMO, the AMA has yet to show it was worth the $50 a year they used to charge for membership/insurance much less the current $75 they are now asking for. In the past, I've been a stanch AMA supporter, they have lost that now by their lack in this and other matters. I don't blame the AMA for the actions that the FAA has taken, I blame their ineffectiveness in the legal fight against that action.
 
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Bill Lowen

Member
I see where you are coming from and you are right, you can legislate people from doing stupid stuff, but that is who I am blaming for all of this, the idiots doing things that inconvenience the ones being responsible. I guess I am going to do what is asked of me and let the powers to be do their jobs. I got my entry in before the deadline so hopefully I get my $5 back and at least the registration is good through 2019, Hopefully the FAA won't make it any harder on us than what they are doing now.
 
B

Bill Lowen

Member
Tony said:
I assure you, this is only the beginning.
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I hope you are wrong my friend, but I fear you are probably right. How you been Tony.. Things getting any better for you? I moved all of my stuff a couple days ago. Where the heck were you and your truck when I needed you man!:lmao:
 
Tony

Tony

Staff member
I hope I'm wrong as well, but the way this government has gone here lately... You know what I'm sayin'.

And I never got a call. I have my truck and a 20' cargo trailer that would have been perfect for a move. :chuckles:

And things are about the same. Working on moving the site to a new server to save a little money every month. I just can't afford to keep this site going and it's not making near enough. But that is for another thread.
 
E

Edgardcafe

Member
Tony said:
I hope I'm wrong as well, but the way this government has gone here lately... You know what I'm sayin'.

And I never got a call. I have my truck and a 20' cargo trailer that would have been perfect for a move. :chuckles:

And things are about the same. Working on moving the site to a new server to save a little money every month. I just can't afford to keep this site going and it's not making near enough. But that is for another thread.
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hello, Tony !
I just registered today at FAA and paid $5!
i'm so sorry to hear about the site... i know you always try your best!
Always thanks you for your help!
Have a great day!
 
Tony

Tony

Staff member
It's just a sign of the times. I took a chance on starting my own business but unknowing to me, it was the worst year for freight in the last 20. So I lost. Trying to pull my head above water and keep everything going. Have an appointment today that I hope goes well.
 
trainrider06

trainrider06

Active Member
I registered the other day, was not happy to do so but I look at it this way.
For one I think my club is going in the direction of as well already having to be an AMA member, but also needing to be registered.
Also, what sounds like a good thing, the F.A.A. Is butting heads with locals in the cities, where cities are trying to ban aircraft, the F.A.A. Surprisingly is taking offense to this and telling cities they are the only ones who can restrict airspace!
I don't think the AMA is done here either, this just might go to the top court,andI believe the AMA is ramping up for this if it does.
Finally it's the old CYA with me in the my choice to go ahead and registrar.
I don't want some overly hating R/C hating cop trying to write me a ticket for just doing a test hover in my driveway
having to go before a judge being accused of being illegal when in fact I will be legal with my registered heli's.
They can suck it!
 
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murankar

murankar

Staff member
I actually registered. After reviewing the potential for getting fined I had to. At the moment I have a lot of stuff at stake. My Army career could be affected if I were to get "caught flying dirty". My job in the Army requires that I hold a security clearance. My clearance can be pulled for any number of reasons and I foresee this being one of them. Should such an infraction with the law end up in court and I loose the case then I could face other issues with the Army. I just cant flush 18 years down the drain just because I want to fly. Anyhow I still feel the FAA is in violation of the law and I hope something gets done about it. I dont think it is going to be the AMA that does it.
 
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