FAA requesting comments on UAS ANPRM

[tewatson]

Submitted comments today on the FAA's advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) for UAS operations - docket number FAA-2018-1086. AMA recently sent an e-mail about this, requesting our input. I started with their comment template and re-wrote/condensed it for brevity. While I have doubts as to whether the FAA will consider or even read public input, doing nothing is not an option for us.

[edfmaniac]

I've been following the AMA's requests since this fight began, and will continue to do so, but my faith in their abilities to save our hobby in the long run is growing smaller. After the passage of the reauthorization, the AMA was told that they would have some input moving forward, but then they get blindsided by this crazy ID# rule implicated for an insane and illogical reason? Not good! But I will still send my letter.

[Steve P]

Thanks, Tom. I've done same. Everyone should -- total number of those submitting comments matters far more than the specifics of any one sentence in your comments. It's all about the count.


As for "insane and illogical reasons," that's far too often the regulatory response to the masses based upon the destructive behavior of the precious few. I'm one of those old guys who had to take the FCC test to be able to fly models and was then asked to place big white AMA labels on my planes. Zipping off a few numbers on the P-Touch and putting them on a fuselage isn't going to kill me. Or, accomplish anything. ;-)

[Steve P]

Today's episode of, "When Your Work Life and Hobby Collide." See highlighted note about the test!?!?!?!

Toy Association Participates in Drone Regulatory Roundtable


April 29, 2019 | The Toy Association last week participated in a roundtable stakeholder meeting on recreational drones which covered new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restrictions on hobbyist and recreation drone users, including the requirement that operators must pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test and have proof of passage available to law enforcement officials upon request.

Prior to the meeting, the FAA indicated that the test should be an hour long and include about 30 questions. During the discussion, The Toy Association strongly opposed this suggestion, instead recommending that operators of drones weighing less than 250g be exempt from the testing requirement, and that any test should be short in length and cover the necessary, basic information only, to ensure drones are used safely.

The roundtable included representatives of the FAA, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the Consumer Technology Association, educators, the Alliance of Drone Innovation, and other stakeholders.

“Our meeting with the FAA and other interested parties was an important part of The Toy Association’s efforts to ensure that toy industry concerns regarding the regulation of small, recreational drones are heard by lawmakers,” said Rebecca Mond, vice president of federal government affairs at The Toy Association. “We thank AMA and the FAA for inviting us to participate and we are confident that by working together we can come to an agreement on the best approach that takes risk into account while keeping the national air space safe.”

The Toy Association continues to engage with the FAA on this issue and will keep members apprised of developments.

[Steve P]

More blurring of the work/hobby line...


01 May 2019

Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives
H-307 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairperson Lowey:

We are writing you as supporters of Know Before You Fly, an education campaign founded by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to educate the public about safe and responsible operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

As a part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, Congress authorized $1 million dollars to Know Before You Fly and its public informational efforts to enhance UAS safety. As proud supporters of the Know Before You Fly campaign and its efforts to ensure the safety of our national airspace, we ask you to appropriate these funds to Know Before You Fly so it can continue its important and necessary educational outreach.

With the help of its supporters, Know Before You Fly has reached millions of recreational and commercial drone operators with information about how to fly safely, and in compliance with applicable rules and guidelines. In fact, since its launch in 2014, the campaign has gained more than 170 supporters – including education, manufacturing and retail companies as well as local and state governments and public safety offices.

In 2018, Know Before You Fly launched its latest digital advertising campaign, “Even the Sky Has Limits,” to educate the public about the existing drone laws they must follow and the consequences if they ignore or break the law. This effort successfully reached more than 750,000 people via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in one month, including 3 million ad impressions and over 900,000 video views.

As you know, the FAA is planning to promulgate new rules for recreational and commercial UAS operations soon, under the authority of the 2018 FAA bill. As the regulatory framework for drones continues to change, it becomes even more important to educate the public about the current laws and how to fly responsibly.

Know Before You Fly would use these funds primarily through a reinvigorated digital and social media advertising campaign following the FAA’s promulgation of new recreational rules. This will help raise awareness of new recreational rules and thereby increase compliance, enhancing the safety of the airspace, which has been the campaign’s mission since it launched.

As supporters of the campaign, we know the work AMA and AUVSI have put into Know Before You Fly since its inception, dedicating staff time to communicate with supporters, maintaining the website and developing new campaign content.

We hope you will appropriate these funds to Know Before You Fly, as intended by Congress in the 2018 FAA bill, so it can continue to put important safety information in the hands of new and existing flyers of UAS.

Sincerely,

Stephen J. Pasierb
President & CEO
The Toy Association

CC:
Rep. Kay Granger, Ranking Member
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. Harold Rogers
Rep. Peter Visclosky
Rep. Robert Aderholt
Rep. José Serrano
Rep. Michael Simpson
Rep. Rosa DeLauro
Rep. John Carter
Rep. David Price
Rep. Ken Calvert
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
Rep. Tom Cole
Rep. Sanford Bishop
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart
Rep. Barbara Lee
Rep. Tom Graves
Rep. Betty McCollum
Rep. Steve Womack
Rep. Tim Ryan
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry
Rep. C. Ruppersberger
Rep. Charles Fleischmann
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler
Rep. Henry Cuellar
Rep. David Joyce
Rep. Chellie Pingree
Rep. Andy Harris
Rep. Mike Quigley
Rep. Martha Roby
Rep. Derek Kilmer
Rep. Mark Amodei
Rep. Matt Cartwright
Rep. Chris Stewart
Rep. Grace Meng
Rep. Steven Palazzo
Rep. Mark Pocan
Rep. Dan Newhouse
Rep. Katherine Clark
Rep. John Moolenaar
Rep. Pete Aguilar
Rep. John Rutherford
Rep. Lois Frankel
Rep. Will Hurd
Rep. Cheri Bustos
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
Rep. Brenda Lawrence
Rep. Norma Torres
Rep. Charlie Crist
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick
Rep. Ed Case