The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) joined with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and Google’s sister company, Wing, to send a letter today urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make essential changes to the proposed rule for Remote Identification (remote ID) of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). These stakeholders – which represent a cross-section of the model aviation, general aviation, and commercial UAS sectors – share a concern that the current rule is too difficult for everyday hobbyists to comply and alternatives are needed.
“The proposed rule will make it nearly impossible for everyday hobbyists to share the skies,” the letter states. “They will need to incorporate highly automated equipment into home-built models, and implement manufacturing processes comparable to a commercial aircraft. These requirements are infeasible for hobbyists who experiment in their garage, buy material at the local hardware store, and fly in their backyard or the local park.”
The letter describes how, if hobbyists cannot comply with complex requirements of amateur-build requirements, they will be confined to a small number of FAA-recognized “identification areas.” The FAA only anticipates about 2,400 of these sites for the entire U.S. population of 327 million people. The agency has also not proposed any process for renewing or recognizing new areas.
“We urge the FAA to consider alternative approaches that promote safety and security while supporting model aviation,” the letter continues. “For example, hobbyists could notify their planned flight area to the FAA and other observers on the ground via smartphone app. Today, drone operators can fly in controlled airspace around our busiest airports by notifying their planned flight area to the FAA through apps. The FAA should be applauded for digitizing these capabilities in an accessible way. That approach is safe, smart, and sensible, and could apply to remote identification.”
The letter concludes by urging the FAA to find a path forward that allows everyday hobbyists to easily comply with the remote ID rule. A full copy of the organization’s letter to the FAA is available here: AMA, AOPA, EAA, Wing joint industry letter