JoeG
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2009
- Messages
- 773
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As some of you know I work in a hobby shop. We are heavy into R/C planes and rockets more than anything else because that's where my interests lie. I have been trying to retire for about four years now but am afraid the owners will close the shop if I leave so I work a couple of days a week. Not that I am irreplaceable but no one else really cares much about the hobby end of the business. It is a unique store that has many different departments.
The airplane guys are always coming in and asking about the rockets and asking How are you allowed to fly those big things? I tell them of the FAA waivers and safety codes, range setup minimum distances, and other things that we are required to do or voluntarily do that allow us to safely pursue our hobby. Many consider it a dangerous activity.
Yesterday a gentleman came in and asked if I was the manager of the R/C airplane sales. With that kind of question I figured he was a salesman and admitted to that role. He identified himself as being from the FAA. I laughed because I thought he was joking since the R/C community has been getting a lot of flak due to some questionable operation of small R/C drones equipped with cameras and FPV (first person view) equipment lately and has handed down some TFR's (temporary flight restrictions) that are actually more or less permanent concerning sporting events.
Completely unofficial plain English interpretation
The FAA prohibits flight at and below 3,000 feet above ground level within a 3 nautical mile radius of all sporting event stadiums having a seating capacity greater than 30,000 people. This temporary flight restriction includes all Major League Baseball stadiums, National Football League stadiums, NCAA division one football stadiums, NASCAR Sprint Cup races, and INDY Car races. The temporary flight restrictions begin one hour prior to the start of the sporting event and end one hour after the sporting event has concluded.
From: https://sportingeventtfrs.com/9_5151.html
There is also a permanent restriction concerning Disney Land and Disney World. But I digress...
Well, it turns out that this fellow actually was from the FAA and was handing out posters on the do's and don't's of model airplane and helicopter flying. Here is the poster he left. About two by three feet. He didn't require that i put it up but he did suggest it.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/publication...s/assets/media/model-aircraft-infographic.pdf
It seems that regulations that the rocketry community has been dealing with for many years are beginning to move into the R/C community more than we are used to. The Academy of Model Aeronautics is working with the FAA in this matter much the same as NAR and TRA has done in rocketry matters.
I'm just wondering how far this will go if a few modelers, I use the term loosely, continue to overstep reasonable boundaries of activity and how do you reel in the loose cannons.
The airplane guys are always coming in and asking about the rockets and asking How are you allowed to fly those big things? I tell them of the FAA waivers and safety codes, range setup minimum distances, and other things that we are required to do or voluntarily do that allow us to safely pursue our hobby. Many consider it a dangerous activity.
Yesterday a gentleman came in and asked if I was the manager of the R/C airplane sales. With that kind of question I figured he was a salesman and admitted to that role. He identified himself as being from the FAA. I laughed because I thought he was joking since the R/C community has been getting a lot of flak due to some questionable operation of small R/C drones equipped with cameras and FPV (first person view) equipment lately and has handed down some TFR's (temporary flight restrictions) that are actually more or less permanent concerning sporting events.
Completely unofficial plain English interpretation
The FAA prohibits flight at and below 3,000 feet above ground level within a 3 nautical mile radius of all sporting event stadiums having a seating capacity greater than 30,000 people. This temporary flight restriction includes all Major League Baseball stadiums, National Football League stadiums, NCAA division one football stadiums, NASCAR Sprint Cup races, and INDY Car races. The temporary flight restrictions begin one hour prior to the start of the sporting event and end one hour after the sporting event has concluded.
From: https://sportingeventtfrs.com/9_5151.html
There is also a permanent restriction concerning Disney Land and Disney World. But I digress...
Well, it turns out that this fellow actually was from the FAA and was handing out posters on the do's and don't's of model airplane and helicopter flying. Here is the poster he left. About two by three feet. He didn't require that i put it up but he did suggest it.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/publication...s/assets/media/model-aircraft-infographic.pdf
It seems that regulations that the rocketry community has been dealing with for many years are beginning to move into the R/C community more than we are used to. The Academy of Model Aeronautics is working with the FAA in this matter much the same as NAR and TRA has done in rocketry matters.
I'm just wondering how far this will go if a few modelers, I use the term loosely, continue to overstep reasonable boundaries of activity and how do you reel in the loose cannons.