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Senate passes Bill S.223 with recreational sUAS amendment denying FAA authority!

Posted by Duane Brocious on February 18, 2011 at 3:00pm

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Senate passes Bill S.223 with recreational sUAS amendment denying FAA authority!

Sponsored by OK Senator Inhofe:

 

 

"

(g) Special Rule for Model Aircraft.--

    (1) IN GENERAL.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the incorporation of unmanned

aircraft systems into FAA plans and policies,, including this section, the Administrator shall not promulgate any

rules or regulations regarding model aircraft or aircraft being developed as model aircraft if such aircraft is--

    (A) flown strictly for recreational, sport, competition, or academic purposes;

    (B) operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a

nationwide community-based organization; and

    (C) limited to not more than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection,

flight test, and operational safety program currently administered by a community-based organization.

    (2) MODEL AIRCRAFT DEFINED.--For purposes of this subsection, the term ``model aircraft'' means a

nonhuman-carrying (unmanned) radio-controlled aircraft capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere, navigating

the airspace and flown within visual line-of-sight of the operator for the exclusive and intended use for sport,

recreation, competition, or academic purposes."

 

More HERE and HERE

 

Why didn't the AMA let anyone knw they were secretly working to get this passed without anyone knowing?

Sounds llike sneaky sleazy politics to me. But the AMA will instantly gain upto $100 Billion in dues!

No oversight over all that new money either!

I don't trust them and I am a member!

 

No AMA dues - no flying.

No autonomous systems period

Limited FPV, even an AR Parrot will be illegal to use because it doesn't meet AMA rules.

AMA can change rules at will to ban all FPV! 

 

This can only be stopped at the House of Representatives now.

Write and call your Representative now or say good buy to all your stuff.

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Comments

  • SilverFox February 20, 2011 at 5:06pm

    After reading through this bill a bit, I do not see it as such a bad thing.  What was quoted here was from an amendment to S.223.  Without this amendment, the FAA could be the governing body of model aviation.  I would not want to see that happen.  S.223 itself has a lot of great things for the Modernization of Air Traffic Control and for Airport improvements; which we really need.  The only reason "model aircraft" were included was to prevent the FAA from being the governing body.

     

    Here is the Actual Bill (Page 244 starts the UAS stuff)

    And Here is the amendment (would be placed on pg 245 of the bill)

  • Duane Brocious February 19, 2011 at 11:57am

    I wrote Inhofe asking him to propose a Bill allowing all CBO's to be exempt from laws and regulations.

    I also wrote to the NAACP that Inhofe is setting the precedent for the KKK to be exempt from hate crime laws.

    How do these retards get elected?

  • Duane Brocious February 19, 2011 at 10:26am

    BTW, this ammendment opens the legislative door for the KKK to be exempt from hate crimes laws, even write their own laws.

    If CBOs can be given regulatory and legislative powers, then any CBO can be allowed to do anything.

    Remember that many insane laws are based on loopholes created by seemingly trivial acts of Congress.

     

    I have written the NRA requesting that they push for similar legislation for the NRA if this ACT passes.

  • Duane Brocious February 19, 2011 at 8:42am

    The ACT will definitely ban the recreational use of sUAS for the millions of US citizens who fly recreationally unless the join the AMA and only fly AMA approved systems.

    Since the AMA has banned all autonomous systems, it will be illegal to fly recreational autonomous systems.

    If all the recreational flyers are forced to join the AMA it will increase their income from $10M/yr to $1B/yr.

    This not about commercial FPV or autonomous systems. Commercial use NPRM is due in June.

    This act makes that NPRM meaningless for recreational users.

  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer February 18, 2011 at 11:58pm
    First the AUVSI is the one to join if you are serious about sUAS and second please stop using the terms UAV and drone here. They are UAS and sUAS may shortly be RPAS as well. If you don't use the correct language who is going to listen.
  • I Heart Robotics February 18, 2011 at 10:49pm
    Duane,

    Do you have references for the AMA's legal attacks on alternative organizations?

    Why not try to use something like kickstarter to get enough funds together to start an alternative to the AMA that has sufficient funds to deal with lawsuits from the AMA.

    As another option, perhaps AUVSI would be interested in acting as a CBO for amateur UAV Safety, all of my experiences with them have been better than I expected.
  • T3
    Rory Paul February 18, 2011 at 6:54pm

    @John

     

    Thanks...I read it too quickly. Still potentially a money maker if they split hairs and require all the components to be certified.

     

     

  • Duane Brocious February 18, 2011 at 6:53pm

    I think they should use the same logic and only allow NRA members to be exempt from all firearms regulations and ban non-members from having even BB guns. They could also turn over the state DMVs to AAA and let them make up their own traffic laws. Give the KKK exemption from hate crimes and the Hells Angels exemptions from drug laws while we are at it. They are all Nationwide CBOs so its OK.

    Do our morons in congress understand the precedent being set by this one of a kind Act?

     

    We are not talking standards adoption here, we are talking law making powers. Want to sell Ardupilot? give the AMA a few million and we will add it to our "standard". No money to be made off FPV? Ban it then wait for the bribes to get it unbanned.

     

    I don't trust my own elected officials and I am going to hand it over to an organization whose election structure makes the USSR look like a full blown democracy. The BoD has to approve candidates for the BoD. Rarely is their more than one choice on any ballot for the AMA. Oh yeah, they don't keep records of any write in ballots either.

  • Duane Brocious February 18, 2011 at 6:10pm

    According to one "in the know" person, The AMA bribed an FCC official $10K to push the 72Mhz frequencies through a few decades ago. Did Inhofe geta nice campaign contribution recently ? Maybe he is an AMA member?

    In the USA I wouldn't bet against anything unsavory in Govt.

    OTOH, maybe Inhofe honestly thought this was a good idea. Paving the road to Hell etc.

  • Ritchie February 18, 2011 at 5:56pm

    I don't live in the US but this seems to be doing exactly what the supreme court has been bitching at Bill Gates about for years.

    By forcing membership to a solitary body (who do nothing anyway) is this not creating a monopoly over an industry? Bill Gates isn't even allowed to get a big share without being told off so why is the AMA allowed?

    Seems to my the Senate is taking bribes one side and talking bollocks out the other. Can the Senate be so blinded that they will shutdown an industry worth a few billion? Is that their final goal?

     

    My condolences USA democracy and intelligence have taken a serious hit.

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