![\"32732976782_7fcc63f974_o\"](\"https:\/\/amablog-modelaircraft-org.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/04\/32732976782_7fcc63f974_o.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIf you have been around RC aircraft for a few years, you might remember the stir that RC helicopters caused when they were introduced. The new aircraft didn\u2019t need a runway and they did a lot of hovering. They had a much different flight envelope than traditional fixed-wing airplanes. Many felt that they should be banned, and others claimed that they caused issues hovering over runways when airplanes were taking off or landing.<\/p>\n
More recently, 3-D airplanes created a similar scare and some wanted to ban their operations as well. Now both are fixtures at nearly all club flying sites and almost everyone has accepted them as a part of typical field activity.<\/p>\n
Today, we have multirotors, commonly referred to as drones by the news media. These new vehicles have shown innovative capabilities in commercial, governmental, and industrial venues, as well as for hobbyists.<\/p>\n
As we have also seen, there are some who would use the technology in a mischievous manor, including possible terrorist activity. As a result, the public has become concerned about safety and privacy issues, and the FAA felt as though it had to become involved to protect the public. Many local governments have decided to create laws and ordinances to limit or outlaw the operation of these aircraft, often with devastating and unintended consequences for modelers.<\/p>\n
As a result, some AMA members are taking aim at these vehicles to rid them from the airspace above their club flying sites. Is that really a good idea? As it was with RC helicopters, the problem is not so much the vehicles, but the people flying them. Understanding that these aircraft are just another RC flying vehicle is what is needed.<\/p>\n
Many multirotors have stabilization systems to allow an owner to successfully fly them with minimal instruction. This causes concern that owners will operate these aircraft without regard to safety for themselves and others around them and endanger model flying altogether.<\/p>\n Flying a multirotor responsibly is no different from flying an RC airplane responsibly. From an AMA perspective, they are all simply model aircraft and fall under the AMA Safety Code and applicable documents. It\u2019s still all about helping new people who come to the flying field with their aircraft (yes, even a multirotor!) and teaching them how to safely operate them and where they can and can\u2019t fly.<\/p>\n One of the new growing areas of multirotors is FPV racing. This part of model aircraft flying even has a television show on ESPN 2 called Drone Racing League<\/em>. The event is usually an indoor drone race, with lots of colored LED gates, twists and turns, and speed. It can be fun to watch and those who participate get a good adrenalin rush\u2014much like RC Pylon Racing.<\/p>\n So what is AMA\u2019s take on this? As with all miniature vehicles that came before the multirotor, they are simply another flying machine. AMA members are covered when flying a multirotor, just like any other model aircraft. Some modelers will want to give it a try and others are happy doing what they are doing now and won\u2019t become involved with them\u2014at least not at first.<\/p>\n If you have been flying models for most your life, you tend to have some interest in nearly all types of model aircraft, and may have moved from one to another throughout your modeling lifetime. Who knows? Multirotors might be in your future as well. Free time, interests, and abilities change throughout time.<\/p>\n With FPV drone racing becoming a quickly growing area, AMA has developed some simple rules for clubs to become acquainted with drone racing. On the AMA website, in the RC Racing area of the AMA Documents section, you will find #540E, FPV Club Sport Racing Recommendations<\/em><\/a>. This document will guide clubs in setting up a racecourse with recommended distances between the course, pilots, and spectators.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the aircraft that is so important, but the person flying it! As with any RC aircraft, you need to learn the proper way to safely operate it, practice, and follow all of the AMA safety procedures (the AMA Safety Code<\/a> and specific documents such as #550, Unmanned Aircraft Operation Utilizing First-Person View<\/em><\/a>, and others).<\/p>\n Keep in mind that FPV racing is not the only activity that multirotor aircraft are capable of. Some members simply enjoy flying them around, and others like to take video or still pictures with them. They are just having fun, and isn\u2019t that what model flying is all about?<\/p>\n No matter what your interests are, you should be willing to stand up for the right of another modeler to fly what he or she likes. After all, if we all showed up at the flying site with the same type and color of aircraft, it would be a very boring day at the field!<\/p>\n Enjoy flying and help your modeling buddies enjoy it too, no matter what they fly. Help newcomers learn proper, safe operation of their aircraft and to obey field rules, as well as local and federal laws. This is the only way we will be able to protect our right to fly for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With all of the recent news concerning drones and multirotor aircraft, are you left with questions concerning how, or if, you should include these types of aircraft at your club field? The goal of this article is to help you better understand these issues. If you have been around RC […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1448"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1457,"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448\/revisions\/1457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amablog.modelaircraft.org\/amaclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\n