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By now most
of you have seen the press articles about the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) stepping in and stopping the California police
units from using this new Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Based
upon the E-mail I have received, there seems to be much concern among
modelers that this will result in our “right” to fly RC models being
taken away. Right now, there is no indication that the FAA wants to
curtail our “normal” RC model-airplane activity.
That
noted, when one of these situations comes up where a device that looks
like a model airplane is used in a “commercial” manner or activity, it
brings attention to the fine line we must walk between our “normal” RC
modeling activity and the type of activity that the government has an
interest in controlling.
While
the FAA’s concern right now is commercial use of unmanned aircraft,
other government agencies have an interest in activities that are
“unusual” in the sense that they do not represent the mainstream
sport/hobby of model aviation. Each of these situations which brings
attention to these “unique” uses for RC devices seems to bring a new
twist to the puzzle.
In the
latest instance, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has
questioned the use of these drones by the police to invade people’s
privacy. While these devices would have no more capability than a normal
police helicopter, the assertion adds another complexity to the issue. |
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I suspect
most of us have heard the old fables about the RC model equipped with a
camera and flown over a nudist colony. It was a great tale and conjured
up much imagination, but in today’s world, such fables would have a
negative effect on our “right” to continue enjoying our hobby.
It’s a
different world than it was 40 years ago. Technology has made many more
things possible, and at the same time, society has become more sensitive
to the issues that those capabilities bring to the forefront. The
survival of our hobby will depend on our ability to walk the fine line
between reason and capability in an ever-changing world.
The
FAA’s concern is the commercial application of this technology, but
there are governmental and nongovernmental agencies with other areas of
concern. Obviously, the homeland security people have their focus, as
does the US Customs Service, the police, the military, and now the ACLU.
I’m sure there are many other agencies out there with concerns. Even
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Fish & Wildlife
Service have voiced some interest. It’s a crazy world out there, and we
need to be smart in how we conduct our activities in order to avoid the
pitfalls that could put our sport/hobby in jeopardy.
I do not believe that the FAA has any intention to take over direct
regulation of model airplane flying in this country, but they do have a
job to do and they will do it. Part of that task seems to be regulating
the commercial use of unmanned aircraft—including those that bear an
uncanny resemblance to model airplanes.
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How can we help ourselves avoid becoming involved in the FAA’s regulatory
net? It’s actually fairly simple. We need to steer clear of doing
anything that has the appearance of being a commercial activity.
I realize that some see using a model airplane to tow advertising
banners as a neat opportunity to support their hobby, but that activity
could put our sport/hobby in jeopardy. Equipping a model airplane with a
camera, and taking aerial photographs may be fun, and may not be a
problem if it doesn’t raise any privacy-invasion issues, but the
temptation to sell photographs made in this manner could bring about
unwanted attention and possible regulation.
We need to be smart and avoid any activity which could bring about
unwanted questions. If we do so, we should have no problem, and if we do
become a challenged activity, we will have a track record to use as
evidence in the ensuing battle(s) we might need to wage.
On the other hand, we can be foolish and invite those challenges by
allowing those unusual activities to pick a fight in which we might not
prevail since it will involve an adversary that is much more powerful
than ourselves. It’s up to us. Do we really want to pick that fight?
Sometimes the best battle you ever waged was the one you avoided. |
