[NSRCA-discussion] Looks like 400' is going to be OK-

[Dana Beaton]

The President of one of the local AMA clubs shared an uncomfortable story in an e-mail last week.  That and the AMA FAQ from the Expo helped me to decide to register this morning, which I did.  Here is what was shared, in part...

I have also read about a flyer, who was flying his helicopter at a flying field just south of here being asked by a police officer to produce his registration… Unfortunately the FAA put out correspondence to local law enforcement regarding the handling of sUAS investigation. However, and this should be of little surprise, some of that information was incorrect. This may potentially lead to overzealous investigation of model flyers.

While it seems unlikely that this kind of thing might happen to me, this time of year, at the AMA club fields I fly at; I made the choice to have a registration number on hand in case I am asked for it by local law enforcement.  While we certainly have a legal basis for a good defense, any legal defense costs more money than I would want to spend in order to justify flying my pattern plane.  So the personal decision to just register and be covered in the short-run while AMA fights the good fight over the long-run.


> On Jan 11, 2016, at 12:01 PM, John Gayer via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
> 
> I'll wait for the website update before I register.
> I won't move forward on a statement from the AMA. FAA is not bound by what the AMA tells us nor are they bound by what they tell the AMA.
> 
> John
> 
> On 1/11/2016 7:09 AM, Jeff and Claire via NSRCA-discussion wrote:
>> AMA Updated their FAQ:
>> http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2016/01/11/update-uas-registration-f <http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2016/01/11/update-uas-registration-f>
>> requently-asked-questions/
>> 
>> Contains this:
>> Q: Am I permitted to fly above 400 feet? What if I had to check a box saying
>> otherwise on the federal registration website?
>> A: Yes. AMA members who abide by the AMA Safety Code, which permits flights
>> above 400 feet, are still allowed to fly and are protected by the Special
>> Rule for Model Aircraft under the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act. The
>> federal registration box requiring agreement to only fly under 400 feet
>> applies to individuals who are not operating within the safety guidelines of
>> a community-based organization. We have been in discussions with the FAA
>> about this point and the agency has indicted that it will be updating its
>> website in the next week to make clear that this altitude restriction does
>> not apply to AMA members.
>> Q: Do I need to list both my AMA number and my federal registration number
>> on my aircraft?
>> A: No. AMA has secured a concession from the FAA that allows AMA members to
>> continue using their AMA numbers as the primary identification on his or her
>> aircraft. AMA members are required to still have a hard copy or electronic
>> copy of the federal registration certificate on them while flying.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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