The Man (FAA)

mooserider

mooserider

Active Member
So I got a letter in the mail after signing up with the local air strip club, and it said that you need to register all your RC aircraft with the FAA. Now, I've been out of the hobby for some time, but have been listening to NPR and other news articles about this in the last year, and it sounded to me like it was only for drones. Or aircraft with cameras. But reading the FAA website, it says anything over a half a pound and under 55 pounds.

So, do we have to register our planes (and choppers)? And how would you specify your plane... it's not like it comes with a serial number.

Just wondering if this is required and if I need to do it before doing down to the field this weekend.

Thanks!

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Btw, what constitutes a drone? I tell my friends I don't fly drones, because drones use cameras, gps, and have gyros. But secretly, I just hate the idea that what we do (kit building and the skill to fly them) is called a 'drone'. But honestly, with 3gx for helis (which I believe includes 3 gyros) the line becomes blurred. Or a single axis (tail) gyro. Surely a 4 channel plane with no gyros is not considered a drone?
 
trainrider06

trainrider06

Active Member
If it flies, it has to be registered! Except maybe a teeny tiny micro I think. What takes place is you sign up on the FAA website, I think just your name address they give you a thing to print, this has your registration number and your supposed to carry the stupid printed card with you that you printed up. This number goes on the aircraft, doesn't need to be on the outside, but an easily accessed area that requires no tools to get to, like the inside of a canopy on a helicopter, or on a plane the inside of say the hatch where you access the battery or components. It can be written by hand in these areas or be a tag, whatever you prefer. But that number has to be on the aircraft somewhere.

Sounds like your club requires this also, so that they are in compliance with the Nazis, I mean FAA. In other words they are just covering their rear.
 
Tony

Tony

Staff member
Yup, even local clubs are scared of the government overstepping their bounds. As Rodney stated, it's everything over .55lbs and under 55lbs. If you fly it, they want you to register it so that when you fly it into some other aircraft maliciously, it will have an ID number so they can track you down. And now you are saying "why would I put a number on something that I'm going to do harm with", EXACTLY!!! There is NO way to stop people from doing stupid things with these. But over regulation is the answer in their eyes.

I don't fly hardly anything anymore because of all of this crap. I will not be a part of the system.
 
trainrider06

trainrider06

Active Member
You must conform Tony! :) If you've ever read the book by George Orwell, you'd see a great many similarities between that book (written in the 40's by the way) and what has gone on in the last 15-20 years.
 
mooserider

mooserider

Active Member
I registered today. I see now, it's just one number you put on all your aircraft. The same number. Thanks for the info you guys!
 
murankar

murankar

Staff member
I don't think this was answered yet so here it goes. Anything that flies is a drone. That simple, they (the media) lumps every flying rc vehicle as a drone. Planks, helis and (my favorate term) Multi rotors. Just make an effort to help him understand that its a multi rotor, an airplane or a heli. Your efforts will be futile due to the media calling everything a drone.

Hek full scale pilots call plastic bags drones.
 
Blade_flyer

Blade_flyer

Member
We are the FAA - Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.
 
murankar

murankar

Staff member
There is not a whole lot you can do. At this point the term Drone has gotten so embedded that one person cant change it. Next time some calls me heli a drone I am going to beat the live crap out of em with it while screaming heli. I hope they get it. lol
 
murankar

murankar

Staff member
in all honesty all you can do is educate the uneducated. Maybe in the end we as a group can change this.
 
murankar

murankar

Staff member
Everything is drone now-a-days. Hell kites a drones as far as the media cares. Just keep teeling people: "No I don't fly drones the Army does that. I fly a <insert rc vehicle>."
 
B

Batwing

New Member
When I read the FAA requirements they seemed reasonable and the requirements apply to both of my gliders and to 4 of my 5 helis. If it weights more than 8 ounces (1/2lb) and you control is with a radio it is a "drone" I weighed my Blade 180cfx and it is under a 1/2 pound so it is not a drone. I suppose that means I can fly it at airports, and at public sector colleges and at other restricted areas but I am 62 and my days messing with "the man" are long past.

I am willing to give up some personal info about what I am doing as an RC modeler so that I am not in violation of any FAA requirements. I sometimes take flights in real air craft or rent them so I am concerned about some of the drone activity that I have been seeing. I registered with the FAA in January when it was free! I got an FAA number. Since I am recreational the same number applies to all of my planes and helis.
All I have to do is put the number on my aircraft to be in compliance, I also include my name and phone number just in case. Since I am registered I am on their email list. Yesterday I received this information which I wanted to share with you all.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the final Small UAS Rule this morning. The press release is available at: https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=20515.

Happy Landings
 
Tony

Tony

Staff member
Please stop calling them "drones". If you want to get technical, they are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The word "drone" is why the public got all butthurt and thus got the government involved who starting putting massive amounts of regulations on something they agreed not to "over regulate". They are overstepping their bounds here, just like everyone else in DC. I'm having none of it. I have still not signed up, I fly a 600 nitro, 550 DFC, 450's and everything else and I will NEVER register. I will not put my PERSONAL information out there for the general public. And no, I have not read the release. Every time I do, I get more and more pissed off. So I'm done reading them, I'm done trying to tell myself that the FAA is trying to do something "good" for America and I'm done with the AMA for letting down the thousands of members that are paying them MILLIONS EVERY SINGLE YEAR and we get nothing from it. And just in case you didn't know, if you are a home owner, the AMA's insurance is complete BS. They will take it out of your policy before they touch what you have been paying for. And now, you are paying 56% more!!!

Okay, rant over. This just gets under my skin. So many balls have been dropped on this that it's not even funny.
 
trainrider06

trainrider06

Active Member
From what I understand they have backed off of all the restrictive stuff except simply being required to register your aircraft, and thats fine with me... glad some sense prevailed here, from what they were wanting to propose!
I do not care for the word 'drone" either, and it's up to us to guide people away from this thought process. We always called planes drones in the AF that were target birds for the fighters to shoot at. thats what I always knew as a drone....thats what I'll always call a drone! As far as the registration process, fine thats alright with me as long as that's where it stops!
 
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