Who is to blame?
’ll let you in on a little secret. Occasionally, when I have a few minutes to spare, I visit some of the popular web forums and read what people post about Model Aviation and Park Pilot magazines and the AMA.
The comments are often positive and constructive, but unfortunately, at times they are not. The reason I read these topics on the forums is because I find it to be an additional resource to better understand the thoughts of our membership.
Many of the recent online comments involve the fact that President Trump signed legislation reversing the earlier court ruling in the John Taylor case and restoring the FAA’s UAS registration requirement—including for AMA members.
Some are quick to place blame on the AMA for not doing enough to prevent registration from being reinstated. However, I wonder if people who feel that way understand all of the things that AMA did accomplish in 2017 to protect our right to fly model aircraft?
There are many examples to share. A couple that come to mind involve state laws that we were able to positively impact. AMA helped stop a bill from becoming law that would have made it a misdemeanor to fly any model aircraft above 400 feet anywhere in that state. Another state sought to make it legal to shoot down a model aircraft flying over your property if you felt it was invading your privacy. Fortunately, the only thing that was shot down was the bill.
The truth is that we have had a huge impact on state and local laws that would have severely affected the hobby that anyone who flies RC currently enjoys. AMA President Rich Hanson, along with the government relations team, has visited Washington, D.C., countless times to advocate for and protect our hobby.
Going forward, it is my hope to use this magazine to share with you the impact we have had in advocating for and protecting the right to fly. Currently, our government relations team is compiling a report of all of its activity in 2017, and that information will be made available in a future issue of Model Aviation.
I think it is important to remember that many of us here at the AMA are modelers too, and we all want to be able to continue to enjoy the hobby we love for many years to come. Be assured that we will continue to advocate for you to the best of our abilities.
