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A CALL TO ARMS!! Speak Out NOW on Drone Regulations!!

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Hello, all. Rayray posted an article yesterday that EVERYONE needs to read and be aware of. His post, titled "Current State Drone Regulations...," is important reading for each of us.

In a nutshell, the States of Montana and Oklahoma - both of them low-populated, large "Big Sky Country" States - are poised to enact State legislation that all but abolish drone piloting in their airspaces, or else seriously curtails those rights afforded us by the FAA just last year. Personally, I believe it is way beyond time that each of us takes this ongoing assault against our rights seriously and to heart. We cannot just wait for others to fight our fight for us or leave it strictly in the hands of commercial-drone interests and their related lobbyist groups, as the average drone pilot that is out there quietly doing his or her own thing is NOT represented by them and therefore our voices are poorly considered and represented in this matter.

To that end, I have drafted a letter that all drone pilots can use as a template to personally address this important matter. This is a draft letter only. I am posting it here below (couldn't upload it as a file for some unknown reason) for you to read, to consider, to use, or to make comments on for any changes or editing that may be suggested. Let us remember that the giraffe is an animal created by a committee, so let's keep this process manageable if it goes further the way I hope it does.

It's time, ladies and gentleman, to stand up and be counted. This letter can and should be sent to every print publication, website, social media outlet, and politician you can think of. Now, today, not waiting until it is too late. If we fail to unite and mobilize on a grassroots level against the trend to ban drones in this Nation, then we only deserve what we ultimately will get. Do not let that happen! Stand up, speak out, be heard, and be counted. THAT is what will make the difference.

Here is my letter. It can easily be personalized to meet your individual needs and circumstance, i.e., whether drone flying is your avocation or the way in which you earn your living. Remember what John Lennon sang out years ago, "Power To The People, Right On!!"


March 12, 2017

Dear XXXXXXXXX,

I am an average citizen whose voice must be heard concerning drones and their place in our State. I strongly and vocally oppose any measures to further curtail my rights to fly a drone safely where I live and travel, and am addressing that issue here.

I AM a drone pilot who observes all current FAA regulations every time I fly. As such, I am a safe, responsible pilot whose “Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness” includes having ongoing access and the ability to continue to enjoy this avocation/vocation (CHOOSE ONE!) of mine. The freedom which the skies naturally offer me as part of my allodial rights, granted to me at birth, must not be interfered with or disposed of by mere laws written by the hand of man. This natural right was guaranteed to me by a much Higher Power than that.

Drones and drone pilots have become the targets of one of this Nation’s latest witch-burning trends, something that mindlessly occurs in politics when only certain voices are listened to and the concerns of others are summarily dismissed, and when the facts are only partially revealed and the feelings of the people affected take a backseat to even more proposed regulations designed to satisfy a select few, a very un-American political thing to do.

I represent many others who feel the same way - and just as strongly - about this issue as I do. We are currently mobilizing locally and nationally to further our voices and ensure that our will shall be felt in the hallways of our governments, locally, regionally and nationally. In short, WE are the seeds of a grassroots movement ready to become the NRA of drone pilots who share common beliefs and will work hard to present and further our agenda to our government leaders and public entities. We are NOT going to just go away.

The skies above are vast enough to accommodate everyone and their interests, including those held by drone pilots themselves. The current FAA regulations have adequately addressed ALL public concerns that have been expressed related to drone flying; therefore, an additional and cumbersome patchwork quilt of lesser laws haphazardly stitched together across the country is wholly unnecessary, contradictory, unwise, and stifling to the ongoing advancements of “We, The People,” technologically, personally, socially, and even spiritually, too. Do NOT take us down this dead-end road. It did not work with guns, equal rights, or civil liberties, and it will not work here, either.

Moreover, please understand that for every letter you receive from us about this issue, 10 more pilots echo our sentiments and are simply waiting right now in silence. More than 1,000,000 new drones were sold in the United States just this past holiday season alone. The numbers of us are just now being amassed by us as we organize against new drone regulations, but in the end those numbers – and the numbers of our supporters – shall be staggering and impossible to either ignore or squelch. We’re near, we have no fear, and we’re here, here to stay. Therefore, you must deal with us.

Please feel free to contact me personally about this matter. I can be reached at (123) 456-7890. I urge you to take this letter and its message seriously. As a group, we will pursue every opportunity to openly and legally oppose future drone regulations through every act of civil disobedience available to us, as well as doing whatever it takes for us to be heard and listened to. Thank you for your time and attention on this matter that is of great personal importance to me and WILL influence the switches I flip during the next election season. That is a sincere and unequivocal promise.

Sincerely,

Joe/Jane Drone Pilot

12345 Main Street

Hometown, ST 00000

That's it. There it is. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading this post.
 
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I've been a faithful member of the AMA since 1977. I have a stack of yearly membership cards that I've been offered cash for. Over the years, some of their membership cards are just awesome.
That said, the AMA rocks on so many fronts for the RC hobbyist and the RC hobby as a whole.
Through the AMA, you have a strong voice with both Congress and the FAA.
They help to keep our hobby safe and more important... legal. If not for the AMA, we probably would have been grounded long ago.
And then there's always that nice feeling knowing I've got over $3 million dollars in insurance just for being a member and using common sense. Your going to have a crash.It's just a mater of time. If you hit someone...are you covered ?
For less than $100 a year... What are you waiting for ?
Jmo thanks,
Jafo
 
Well I get your frustration. I think it ironic the very red states promoting this are seemingly all about small govt and less regulation. The closest we have to a lobbying arm like the NRA may be this HOME - Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
I totally agree. It seems when the legislators of "red-meat" states get on their "soapboxes" and latch on to an issue of government intrusion, especially of one that they are ignorant, they think they are doing the citizens a favor. Yet, during the Obama Administration, when helpful regulations were issued, one could hear the whining, bitching, and gnashing of teeth from these hypocritical cry-babies.

If I were a drone pilot living in one of these states, I would remove the FAA sticker and fly the "f...er" anyway. These pissant middle-age white men have no business dictating to drone pilots what to do with their property. "F" them!

Jim
NewTyphoon Pilot
 
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Send a letter to ALL your elected officials, from city and county to the President. Join the AMA and stay up to date on proposed changes that these government "fat cats" are ready to push down our throats. And above all, fly responsibly.
 
States cannot pass any regulations regarding the use of airspace. This has already been decided in court:

“Where Congress occupies an entire field . . . even complimentary state regulation is impermissible. Field preemption reflects a congressional decision to foreclose any 3 state regulation in the area, even if it is parallel to federal standards.”

The above is from:

https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/uas_regulations_policy/media/UAS_Fact_Sheet_Final.pdf

Read the paragraph that begins at the bottom of page 2 and end on page 3.

Letters sent to state and local politicians should include this information (quote that entire paragraph).
 
I saw the news on SUAS NEWS,besides the commercial uav drone,no need certification,just fly freely
 
The AMA is the closest thing to the NRA that we have, join today and get the insurance protection as well as a LOUD voice in government.

The above is not entirely accurate, and many may not realize the mission of the AMA is rather limited in nature, intended more to further the interests of amateur and competition level model aviation operated in the more traditional sense; at organized flying sites where groups of people gather to fly model aircraft. The AMA specifically excludes inclusion or representation of those operating commercially, and their safety guidelines, where compliance is mandatory for insurance coverage to be effective, also apply to the more traditional forms of model aviation activities. That insurance is also "secondary" to any other insurance you may have that might cover modeling activities such as homeowners or umbrella policies.

A representative group offering more advantages for drone operators, one that is continually engaged in protecting the rights of all aviators, is the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), which has maintained a strong presence in dealings with the FAA and Congress since 1939. They offer more services to the members, with those services having far greater value than anything the AMA has ever offered. Having more than 3 times the membership of the FAA their political presence and lobbying budget is far superior to AMA endeavors. The AMA's charter prohibits political lobbying. Unlike the AMA, the AOPA has maintained active involvement with our government where changes to airspace is concerned, defending the rights of pilots to make free use of airspace while promoting our airspace as a resource that should be kept "affordable" and open to all and not privatized for the financial gain of large aviation enterprises. The AMA was late to the ARC committee process, was not initially invited, and had no voice during the early ARC committee's discussion about regulatory development. The AMA maintained distance from the lawsuit that effectively terminated the model aircraft registration process. If they were truly concerned they had ample opportunity to be at least vocally supportive of Mr. Taylor's efforts to be our David against the FAA Goliath. Compared to the AOPA, the voice of the AMA is more like a squeak than a roar.

In February the AOPA opened their doors to drone operators. This was a considerable change from the position they had taken prior to that point. There is certainly a hope that drone operators will develop an interest in full scale aviation, an area the AOPA is extremely well suited to serve, but they have recognized drones have assumed an important part of the aviation community on many levels. That recognition opened the door for drone operators to receive many, if not all, of the same benefits provided to general aviation pilots for decades. Look for yourself and decide who is better qualified to assist pilots with representation in the regulatory process and maintaining open airspace, and who provides a broader range of services and benefits.

AOPA welcomes drone pilots - AOPA
One thing is certain, drone operators NEED a well organized group with the legal and political experience to protect them. There is a cost of admission which some will protest, but not joining a representative organization to save a few dollars will be far more expensive. The lack of organization has put us where we are today. Complaining after the fact does nothing. Being proactive to prevent the conditions that generate complaints is far more beneficial.
 
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States cannot pass any regulations regarding the use of airspace. This has already been decided in court:

“Where Congress occupies an entire field . . . even complimentary state regulation is impermissible. Field preemption reflects a congressional decision to foreclose any 3 state regulation in the area, even if it is parallel to federal standards.”

The above is from:

https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/uas_regulations_policy/media/UAS_Fact_Sheet_Final.pdf

Read the paragraph that begins at the bottom of page 2 and end on page 3.

Letters sent to state and local politicians should include this information (quote that entire paragraph).

Welcome to Okla. One of many states who does things at the blink of an eye only to have the courts over turn it.
I've seen this kind of idiocracy all my life and I'm a born Okie.

To the OP:
Funny, this is the first I've read anything on this.. Now you're going to make me look it up. <LOL>
w/r

Hippy
 
Drones are nothing more than any other RC. Do they plan to do away with all RCs?

I kind of thought that is why the courts over turned the mandatory registration of hobby drones.
Told the FAA they have NEVER required other hobby aviators (airplane or rocket) to register so starting now was a bit redundant.
Besides, when the (FAA) tried to impose fines AND jail time they greatly over stepped their bounds.

w/r

Hippy
 

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