Ruling on FAA registration
It was a sunny, warm Friday on May 19, 2017, during the annual Joe Nall event when we learned that the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. ruled in favor of John Taylor, striking down the FAA’s registration requirement for all pilots who fly anything that weighs more than .55 pounds.
I have heard that some think this is a great thing and that the FAA has been taken down a couple of pegs. I also have heard, primarily through the blogs on the internet, that Taylor did something about FAA registration and AMA didn’t. I want to address this.
We applaud what Mr. Taylor accomplished on behalf of nonparticipating modelers, but there are consequences that AMA members need to be aware of. AMA has always taken the stance that our members shouldn’t be required to register with the FAA, because as a community-based organization, it was counter to Section 336 of Public Law 112-95, and that our members have already registered with us. But, because of registration, Congress saw that the FAA had a means to help ensure safety pertaining to drones in the national airspace.
Shortly after the FAA announced that registration would be required, the AMA Executive Council discussed whether we should take legal action against this new FAA regulation. It was easy to get upset about this, and although getting retribution might make us feel better, we had to consider the long-term consequences.
Both our legal counsel and lobbyist advised against filing a lawsuit because it would likely have a negative impact with Congress, and Congress gave us Section 336. The real priority for our members was staying focused on modifying the FAA’s Interpretive Rule to Section 336, and guaranteeing that Section 336, at the very least, stays in place, and is hopefully enhanced in the new FAA Reauthorization Bill.
Whether or not you liked the FAA registration requirement, the reality is that it was a minor inconvenience for most of us. Unless you take time to analyze the real-world situation here, you likely won’t recognize one possible scenario because of this court decision.
With the elimination of FAA registration, Congress could feel the need to remove Section 336 from this year’s FAA Reauthorization Bill in order to give the FAA full authority over drones and model aviation in this country. This would eliminate the carve-out for model aviation and for a community-based organization, which AMA obtained in 2012 in Public Law 112-95.
As I write this, it is only a possibility. No one can predict what Congress will do. We could possibly see an increase in potential drone legislation from state and local governments. As we always have, AMA will be engaging Congress and lobbying that Section 336 should be enhanced and expanded. We will argue that our members aren’t the problem, they are the solution.
It is expected that other drone organizations and manufacturers will lobby Congress to include a registration component in the new FAA reauthorization bill, so don’t be surprised if registration comes back.
More regulation won’t improve safety if the people who are flying aren’t educated and don’t understand the rules. I feel that manufacturers, dealers, and retail sources, including those offshore, should be required to provide preliminary education information. If they want to sell their drone products here, they should participate in the Know Before You Fly program and provide safety information to their customers. The FAA, through Congress, needs to step up its game and fund more educational resources concerning its rules to the drone community, as well as state, county, town, and city governments.
The FAA and Congress should understand that safety has always been, and will always be, an individual’s responsibility to comply with governmental laws. Don’t penalize the very people who have been doing it right for more than 80 years. The FAA needs to get serious about enforcement. It is the only way to convince potential violators that laws need to be followed. To our members, stay mindful of AMA’s correspondence to you. We might need our members’ intervention with Congress as the year progresses.
The 63rd Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo, held by the Toledo Weak Signals, is in the books. It was a memorable one for me as I had the honor and great pleasure of presenting the Legion of Honor award to this renowned club.
The Legion of Honor award is given by my office and is designed to recognize those individuals or organizations that have consistently financially supported AMA’s programs.
I last presented the award two years ago to Frank Tiano. To my knowledge this is only the fifth time this award has been given. For decades, the Toledo Weak Signals have had a scholarship booth at this trade show, and raised money for the AMA Scholarship program. The club has been a significant partner in allowing AMA to award more than $1 million in scholarships to our Youth members.
Thank you to the Weak Signals for many years of effort in making our youth’s dreams come true, and congratulations. This award is only a token of our appreciation to all of the Weak Signals members!
Thanks for reading. Please help to secure our future and take a youngster flying!
AMA Executive Council Meeting
April 1, 2017
Muncie IN
The motions and acclamations are part of the unofficial minutes of the meeting. Minutes from a given meeting are not official until they are approved at the following quarterly Executive Council meeting. Questions or comments concerning the motions should be addressed to your district vice president.
It was approved by consensus to accept the minutes of the January 9, 2017, Executive Council meeting.
Consent items were read into the minutes.
Motion: Moved by M. Radcliff (III) and seconded by T. Jesky (VII) to affirm AMA Foundation slate of officers for 2017: Dan Bott, chairman; John Langford, treasurer; Mandee Mikulski, secretary.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Moved by A. Argenio (I) and seconded by G. Fitch for changes to AMA Travel and Expense Policy document. Remove item 4, clean up grammatical changes; to appear later in the agenda.
Motion tabled.
Motion: Accept recommendation of Headquarters staff to reduce cost of Senior Life membership to $1,300. Motion to approve by Eric Williams, seconded by Randy Cameron. Vote not taken.
Motion: Moved by E. Williams (II) and seconded by R. Cameron (VI) to table the previous motion of accepting recommendation of Headquarters staff to reduce cost of Senior Life membership to $1,300 until next Executive Council meeting in July 2017.
Motion passed with one abstention.
Motion: Moved by T. Jesky (VII) and seconded by L. Harville (VIII) to approve the recommendation of 2017 scholarship awards.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Moved by G. Fitch and seconded by L. Tougas (X) to approve the request of District VII to increase its budget by $1,500.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Moved by T. Jesky (VII) and seconded by L. Harville (VIII) to approve recommended Flying Site Assistance Grants.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Moved by C. Bower (XI) seconded by R. Cameron (VI) to proceed with current legal action negotiations as agreed in executive session.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Moved by L. Harville (VIII) and seconded by J. Marsh (IV) to accept the recommendation of the grievance committee to not invoke disciplinary action on a recent member complaint.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Moved by L. Tougas (X) and seconded by M. Radcliff (III) to accept the recommendation of the Executive Director Review Committee to begin contract renewal negotiations with the Executive Director immediately.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Moved by L. Tougas (X) and seconded by G. Fitch to accept the AMA Travel and Expense Policy as amended and proposed by the T & E ad hoc committee.
Motion passed: yes (12) no (1).
Motion: Moved by J. Marsh (IV) and seconded by T. Jesky (VII); to rescind the 2016 price increase for an FAI Sporting License and revert to $75 for Open/Adult members. In addition, by friendly amendment, FAI Sporting Licenses will be offered to AMA Junior and Senior members at cost.
Motion passed: yes (12) abstained (1).
Motion: Moved to accept the following awards: Three Distinguished Service awards.
Motion passed unanimously.
