[NSRCA-discussion] FAA Meeting in Columbus OH on Small UAS

[kvelez at rochester.rr.com]

I'm not surprised to hear this. In my 20 plus years in the aviation industry I have seen the FAA contradict itself from one office to another office more times than not.
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------ Original message------From: Ron Hansen via NSRCA-discussionDate: Tue, Feb 9, 2016 9:13 PMTo: NSCRA Discussion List;Cc: Subject:[NSRCA-discussion] FAA Meeting in Columbus OH on Small UAS
I just attended a FAA meeting at the Columbus, OH Airport on Small UAS. Several AMA members including Mike Barbee and numerous full scale pilots were in attendance. The powerpoint presentation was given by: John P. WelshAviation Safety Inspector MaintenanceFlight Standards District OfficeGreat Lakes Region A couple of very important takeaways: 1.      He stated that you could not fly above 400 ft even if you are an AMA member.  I pressed him on this.  He said if you want to fly according to the rules you must stay below 400 ft.  If you need to fly above 400 ft, he suggested you apply for a COA.  I told him that is not what the AMA is telling us.  He said the AMA is not well informed.2.      He stated that FPV with a spotter does not meet their requirements even if you are an AMA member.  He said FPV flyers must be able to see the plane and not through a video screen. This does not surprise me because the Small UAS Certification states this.  What AMA is telling
  us is only their interpretation of their discussions with the FAA. The AMA needs to obtain a letter from the FAA that states clearly that AMA members are exempt from all of the requirements for Small UAS and are only required to comply with AMA rules.  Every member would need to carry this letter on their person because the FAA is not going to enforce these regulations local law enforcement will.  If a police officer sees you flying above 400 ft, he isn’t going to care if you are an AMA member.  All he knows is you are flying above 400 ft and the card you’re carrying says you can’t do that. It is possible this person from FAA is ill informed.  However, this person is on the front lines educating local law enforcement, full scale pilots and model airplane enthusiast.    

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