Question about AMA

[regdawg]

Actually, many of those flying fields are now shut down and in No Fly Zones...or now have a mandatory 400 foot height cap.

I wonder what it'll look like a year or 2 from now....will flying fields still exist? Will flying only be allowed in flying fields and banned everywhere else? Hmmmmm

Makes me wish I had got into this hobby 5 years ago instead of just last year with all the crackdown coming on. It takes a little of the fun away from it.

 

[bobmyers]

Actually, many of those flying fields are now shut down and in No Fly Zones...or now have a mandatory 400 foot height cap.

That is actually right. Look for more no fly zones in the future.

 

[AgentOrange2015]

I live outside Hot Springs Arkansas and the local RC field is in the county, not the city and is actually a County Park. Has a nice asphalt runway and plenty of land around it fly. Most of the guys flying are all AMA members and a members of the RC club, but they can not tell anyone who can or can not fly at the RC park, it is public property. There seems to be some tolerance for Quad Pilots but not that much of a warm welcome. Regardless, it is a good place to fly to keep in practice or to learn to fly.

 

[Hoffbrew]

I live out in the country, Clovis, and the UAV map app I downloaded shows my area not in any of there circles But I do see the sheriffs helicopter fly over often. Do I need to call someone every time I fly the Phantom? Or am I good at under the 400' rule?

 

[regdawg]

I live out in the country, Clovis, and the UAV map app I downloaded shows my area not in any of there circles But I do see the sheriffs helicopter fly over often. Do I need to call someone every time I fly the Phantom? Or am I good at under the 400' rule?

Ahhhh...a neighbor...I'm in Fresno. You should be okay as long as you stay under the 400ft, but if the ghetto bird looks to be under the 400ft, I think I'd bring it down a bit. I have yet to be bothered by cops on the ground when I fly (every now and then) but I have yet to come across a copter cop. With all the news in the area about drones and copters having close calls, I'd just be cautious.

 

[Hoffbrew]

I know that copter has been below 400', never has bothered me, they just fly over, do a loop at the foothills and go back. I ordered the prop protectors, delivery date is today and didnt want to fly this for my first time without them! so I will give this Phantom a try this evening. I have figured out that Vinnie66 is my brother in law and that is who I got this phantom from.

 

[regdawg]

I know that copter has been below 400', never has bothered me, they just fly over, do a loop at the foothills and go back. I ordered the prop protectors, delivery date is today and didnt want to fly this for my first time without them! so I will give this Phantom a try this evening. I have figured out that Vinnie66 is my brother in law and that is who I got this phantom from.

Go have some fun!!

 

[Imabiggles]

And yet, some people naively believe that the AMA represents our interests as drone owners. Little do they know....

Thats not exactly fair. SInce the FAA doesnt recognize the difference between fixed with and rotor craft (they are all UAS), their is no reason for the AMA to lobby for "drone specific" regulations. I am not saying they are great lobbyists for UAS, but I certainly DO NO want someone to lobby just for rotor craft. Thats silly, a waste of resources on both ends and, I believe, not in the best interest for rotor craft hobbyist (why would we want specific rotor regulations, thats a Bad Idea if you enjoy the hobby).

Local clubs can lobby for local regulatory stuff. The national AMA shouldnt be bothered with local issues. If local clubs are unwilling, then too bad for them.

 

[Jason Porembski]

Is there an AMA equivalent for us multi-rotor guys? I was thinking about joining the AMA for at most the insurance but now after reading this post seems not to be a good idea.


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[Imabiggles]

Is there an AMA equivalent for us multi-rotor guys? I was thinking about joining the AMA for at most the insurance but now after reading this post seems not to be a good idea.


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Not that I am aware of. I dont think I would support an AMA for rotor guys association either. Its a good idea to support the AMA for the following reasons:
1. you get the insurance, which could be helpful if you have an issue that causes bodily damage or major property loss. The equivalent insurance from your homeowners or separate policy is much more expensive.
2. you get the magazines, nice bathroom reading material.
3. they do lobby for our hobby. their effectiveness is not perfect, but they do a good job.
4 if you want to fly around local fields or get a permit from a forest preserve or something, most of them require AMA membership or proof of other insurance

Anyway, join or dont - Ive been an AMA member for awhile and have no complaints.

 

[JerEl]

I'm one of those cranky old guys who first joined the AMA back in the early '80s but only recently have come back to RC flying. I just don't have the reflexes anymore to fly anything but GPS multicopters and slow (and boring) airplane trainers. The poster was correct that many of the clubs are run by old cranky guys who just aren't that friendly with multicopter pilots but with anyone. But those are the dying clubs and many of the clubs welcome RC operators of anything, boats, cars, and aircraft. I mostly fly in my rural subdivision with about 70 homes on 750 acres and when I fly from the front yard I set up another monitor on a tripod for those who stop by and ask questions. Once they see that privacy is not an issue since you can't really identify anyone on the ground from 150' and up they just ask a lot of questions and get interested, I think, in the hobby. In some cases I let them fly for a few minutes at a safe altitude. The AMA recently has been having more articles about multicopters in their magazine and recognize that the future is in FPV aircraft, not flying ovals over and over like the old guy's do at the field. IMO it's worth it to support the only national organization that represents this hobby in Wash. D.C. To me the insurance is just a side benefit as someone else mentioned it seems to have a lot of "outs" unless you are flying with a sanctioned club at a sanctioned field.

 

[captainmilehigh]

Thanks to all the posters in this thread. I found a local r/c club nearby that has a great facility. You know the type, paved runways, covered areas, concession stands, and even inside restrooms. But to join this club an applicant must join AMA. Was considering it, but the members that I spoke with were very "cold" on drones at their field. Not too friendly. Unless I had a fixed wing with a 5 foot wing span it was obvious that they did not really want a Phantom anywhere around their 'homebuilts '. Too bad. It was a really nice setup.


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[Jason Porembski]

The way I see it they are cranky they need a runway. We can take off from a street, field, parking lot, boat, car, bridge, hand... Well you get the point =D


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[GadgetGuy]

The way I see it they are cranky they need a runway. We can take off from a street, field, parking lot, boat, car, bridge, hand... Well you get the point =D


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Yup. Advantage of a copter over a fixed wing!