Model Airplanes

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drone on, the government says.

Just not through the night sky. Or close to an airport. Or out of the operator’s sight. And probably not winging its way with a pizza or package, any time soon.

Long-anticipated rules proposed Sunday will open an era in which small (under 55 pounds) commercial unmanned aircraft perform routine tasks — crop monitoring, aerial photography, inspections of bridges and cell towers, and much more. But not right away. Final rules are probably two to three years away.

PDF: Proposed rules for drones

And when they are in place, they may include a separate category with fewer restrictions for very small drones, likely to be defined as less than 4.4 pounds.

The Federal Aviation Administration released a variety of proposed requirements for commercial operators to meet, such as passing a knowledge test administered by the agency as well as a federal security check. The small drones could travel as fast as 100 mph, at altitudes of 500 feet or lower. Flights over people except those involved in the drone’s operation would be prohibited.

“We have tried to be flexible in writing these rules,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.

Article source: http://wwlp.com/2015/02/16/faa-proposes-rules-for-drones/

Adam Dangerfield
Mesa Legend

On a February afternoon at The Arizona Model Aviators Superstition Airpark flying site in Usery Park, near Apache Junction, there were clear blue skies and an occasional soft breeze.  “This is a perfect day for flying,” said Jim Legg, member of the Arizona Model Aviators (AMA), which is a club whose mission is to make model aeronautics a reality for anyone who wishes to build or fly radio-controlled model airplanes and is sanctioned by The Academy of Model Aeronautics which is a national organization.

Legg said he first got involved with model aviation when he was a teenager in western New York,  “I started off flying the control line planes, then my first radio control was a single-channel   airplane,” Legg said. “Not too much success with that.”  Legg said there was not much support in western New York for aspiring model aviators, but when he moved to Arizona that all changed.   “When I moved out here, I found friends who helped me out with it,” he said.  “The model aviation scene is stronger out here. There are a lot more people involved with it, and AMA is a big club.”   As a result, Legg has been an avid model plane builder and aviator since 1996.

Legg has a variety of model airplanes ,most of which are gas powered, scaled down versions of actual WWII fighter planes, but he also has a couple scaled

Article source: http://mesalegend.com/2015/02/model-aviation-scene-gains-altitude-valley/

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a new set of rules for commercial drone use, saying the regulations on model airplanes would not change.

So, how does the FAA treat model airplanes, and is the average hobbyist following the rules?

The regulations are spelled out in Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, and clarified by the agency in a 2014 letter in response to numerous questions.

President Barack Obama signed a law that defines a model aircraft using the following criteria:

• It is unmanned

• It can fly for sustained periods in the atmosphere

• It stays within eyesight of the operator

• It is operated for recreational purposes

• Humans cannot directly intervene in its operation from within the aircraft or on it

The eyesight rule states that you must use your own natural vision (although corrective lenses are allowed) and not night-vision goggles, binoculars or other unnatural aids. This does not mean that you can’t use a spotter to help you look for obstacles or other aircraft, but that person’s line of sight does not add to your own.

That same law bans the FAA from making rules about model aircraft that meet the following criteria:

• The aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use;

• The aircraft is operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization;

• The aircraft is limited to not more than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program administered by a

  Article source: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/02/as_faa_proposes_new_drone_rule.html