FPV licensing requirements
by Tony Stillman, Flying Site Coordinator
fsac@modelaircraft.org
Hello again everyone and happy holidays!
One additional sphere of responsibility I have here at AMA is that of technical director. As such, I have been working to create a document to help modelers know what they need to do to legally operate if they have an onboard video transmitter in their model. This includes quadcopters and multirotors, but also affects any fixed-wing or helicopter pilot who might want to experiment with FPV or similar activity.
The act of attaching a camera or video transmitter to a model has been going on since before the advent of multirotors. I remember seeing a large camera, using 35mm film, attached to the side of a Hobby Lobby (now Hobby Express) Senior Telemaster airplane.
With the advent of digital cameras, adding one to a model became easier and you could immediately see your pictures after the flight. With today’s micro and tiny spy-type cameras, you can put them on models as small as tiny indoor aircraft and get some cool pictures and even video. Now, if you want to try your hand at flying your aircraft using FPV, the cost to purchase the required equipment has dropped.
Before you spend your hard-earned cash, you need to know a few things. Most of the available equipment requires that the operator have an FCC Technician Class license. Beware that there is available equipment being sold that does not bear an FCC ID number.
By law, the number is required to be somewhere on the transmitter. On the back or bottom of your RC transmitter is a label with the FCC ID number on it. Something similar is required on the video transmitter as well. If it is not there, don’t buy or use it!
When I began investigating this, a modeling friend of mine in Florida, Melvin Duval, who works with radio-frequency equipment like this, helped me do some research. Our findings showed that unlicensed operation was legal when the radio-frequency output power was very low. If the unit’s measured power was below this limit, it met the Part 15 section of the FCC requirement, which allows their use without an FCC Technician Class license. Units that meet this requirement will indicate such on the label of the unit and/or will have a declaration in the owner’s manual. If the unit’s output power is above this threshold, then the user must hold a valid FCC Technician Class license to legally operate it.
I wanted to ensure that this information was correct, so I contacted an FCC law firm that has done some research for AMA. I shared my findings, and asked if the information was correct, and if they could help me create a document to guide FPV users on the FCC requirements. This led to the creation of AMA document #590, which can be found at: www.modelaircraft.org/files/590.pdf, as well as in this issue of Model Aviation’s “In the Air” section on page 13.
You can follow the document to help you identify if the product you have, or are considering the purchase of, requires the Technician Class license to operate or not.
You can purchase complete video systems, including a headset (goggles) for flying. A couple of systems that meet Part 15, and can be used without the FCC Technician Class license, are the HobbyZone Vapor with FPV and the HobbyZone Sport Cub S with FPV. These aircraft are fun to fly, and a great way to enter the FPV world. However, they are small, indoor-type models and as such, the FPV range on their systems is quite short.
If you want something larger to fly outside, a few systems advertise that they don’t require FCC licensing, but be careful! Many companies sell equipment that comes from outside of the US. Remember that FCC licensing is only required in the US and other countries have their own laws. Take the time to get the FCC ID number from the manufacturer and follow the process on the AMA #590 document before you purchase the item.
If you find that you have equipment that requires a license, but don’t currently have one, don’t panic! It is easy to acquire it. In AMA President Bob Brown’s November 2015 Model Aviation column, he recounts how he obtained his Technician Class license. You can find information on attending a local class to get your license at www.arrl.org. The classes are free, and the cost to take the test is only $15. There is a workbook to help you that you can purchase for $30 as well.
I hope you will take the time to get your license if you are active in FPV and use equipment that requires it. AMA members have a long history of following requirements set forth by the FCC, and we believe that will continue with FPV. It is vital that we follow all laws, especially in this critical time for our hobby.
