by Greg Carter | Jun 3, 2015 | UAV
The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has an educational partnership with Fly Robotics. I like this partnership because it can provide additional educational opportunities from instructors who have gone full circle and understand the needs of the AMA. There are two complementary courses that you can view that focus on Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) that is well worth the read. Login to the Fly Robotics website with Username = guest and password = guest Click on the course “AMA Flight School Complementary Courses” and get the know before you fly. As I went through the course material, I began to think about how I got to this point with you. I am an Information Technology and Services Professional with a love for Aeronautics. I grew up in Rocket City, USA during the Saturn rocket booster era and was always firing an Estes rocket for one reason or another. I got the hobby bug early. My first job in Aeronautics was at the wind tunnel test facilities at Arnold Engineering Development Center at the Arnold Air Force Base. We worked on a lifting body model that later evolved into the Space Shuttle. We all knew the motivation behind “unmanned” because the Space Shuttle was nearly entirely a Reaction Lift system, which essentially had no Bernoulli Lift virtually, therefore incredibly unstable, where avionic systems had to keep it safe to fly, a lot like some of our sUAS...
by Jack Upchurch | May 27, 2015 | UAV
As I was sitting here trying to do some research on UAVs I came across the FAA website and started reading for answers to my questions. Questions like why are we being affected? We do not fly autonomously controlled aircraft! Our radio equipment does not have the range to pilot our aircraft more than a mile or maybe two on a perfect day. Then I remembered that at the Joe Nall AMA meeting it was announced that we have finally made some headway in the fight. The proposed rules hopefully will simply separate us from commercial UAV equipment by the simply phrase ” line of sight”. As long as the aircraft remains in the pilots line of sight it will be considered a hobby aircraft. This will fit into the “Know Before You Fly” campaign perfectly! The FAA website Unmanned Aircraft Systems states that Model Aircraft Operations are as follows and quoted below: “The FAA has partnered with several industry associations to promote Know Before You Fly, a campaign to educate the public about using unmanned aircraft safely and responsibly. Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged to follow safety guidelines, which include: Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations Don’t fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying Don’t fly near people or stadiums Don’t fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs Don’t be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could...
by Jack Upchurch | May 14, 2015 | UAV
IS THIS A UAV????? UAV is defined as a “powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload”. This came straight from TheFreeDictionary.com So the answer to the above question is actually “Yes”. If you simply search for UAV online you will be surprised at what you will find. I have been fairly borderlined on this topic. I have been through issues regarding the government prying there way into the world of modeling before. The first time was when we lost our AM frequencies and again when they forced us to go FM Narrowband. In both occasions the AMA did what they had to do to protect us modelers. I have been certain that they will protect us again so I honestly have not put much thought into this subject. However, I want to bring both sides into this blog so that we can become more informed as modelers about what is really happening to us. I have been receiving all of the same media that is available to every modeler through the AMA and it has been very informative. At the same time, I also know how we are perceived by the public in general. They tend to group us into two categories. The first being that they view us is as grownup kids having fun. We never truly grew up and are playing with oversized, over priced toys. Then we have the second category. Modelers are tinkerers and inventors. We...
by Greg Carter | Apr 18, 2015 | UAV
Who knows where the ideas from our hobby will lead us. We take our smartphones to the airfield to get a shot of our latest model and ask someone to take the picture or shots of our club event to post on our club website. How long will it be before you take out your smartphone and it records your day at the...
by Greg Carter | Mar 31, 2015 | UAV
Join an AMA Club and get in the know before you fly. Some clubs are beginning to test FPV multirotor setups for events to give our associates more safe flying activities. An FPV-equipped model must be flown by two AMA members utilizing a buddy-box system. The pilot in command must be on the primary transmitter, maintain visual contact, and be prepared to assume control in the event of a problem. The operational range of the model is limited to the pilot in command’s visual line of sight as defined in the Official AMA National Model Aircraft Safety Code. The flight path of model operations shall be limited to the designated flying site and approved overfly area. The model weight and speed shall be limited to a maximum of 15 pounds and 70 miles per hour. Read more … AMA Document #550 – Radio Controlled Model Aircraft Operation Utilizing “First Person View”...
