The FAA Registration Rules For Drones Have A Profound Effect On Radio Control Model Airplane Hobbyist

The FAA required UAS registration rule is aimed at the operations of multirotor drones, but it goes much further than that. RC model aircraft flying, which includes fixed wing and helicopters, has been around for a long time, has operated safely, and has posed no threat to the public. However, these hobbyist have now been snatched up by a registration regulation that has nothing to do with them.

The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) is one of the oldest aviation organizations in the U.S, and they have promoted safety successfully since the organization was formed in 1936. Many thousands of radio control model airplane and helicopter flyers who are AMA members will now have to comply with the new regulations regarding registration, and they’ll also be liable for the potential for penalties that come with the regulation.

Let’s take a look at some of the things longtime RC flyers are going to have to deal with to be in compliance.

First and foremost, it will be necessary to register the aircraft and obtain a registration certificate. A registration number will have to be displayed on aircraft and the registration certificate must be present when the aircraft is operated. Oh yes, U.S. citizenship is also involved in this rule, and there is a small fee involved.

This means that when at the local RC flying field, if the owner of the RC aircraft is not the pilot, someone has to have that registration certificate available. Because the minimum age for registration is 13 years old, it will be important to coordinate who is flying the RC aircraft and who’s in charge of possessing the certificate itself. It appears the regulation is written so that the certificate can be carried in the form of an electronic display, such as a photograph in a cell phone.

This requirement to have the registration certificate available at the time the RC aircraft is being flown comes directly from the rules being applied to full scale aircraft. Full scale aircraft are required to have the registration certificate in the cockpit anytime the airplane is operated. The other thing to keep in mind is that the certificate must be renewed every three years, which also comes from the regulations for full scale aircraft.

It remains to be seen if any enforcement action will be taken at local RC flying fields. The FAA constantly claims it is understaffed, but this is a hot topic and there’s no telling if there is a plan for monitoring or enforcing the regulation. There is also no way to know how local municipalities or law enforcement authorities will approach the issue of model aircraft registration.

If you are an RC hobbyist and not a member of the AMA, there has never been a more important time to become one. Just as in full scale aviation, it has been organizations like AOPA, EAA, and NBAA that provided a common voice for individual’s rights, and that’s what AMA does.

To paraphrase the famous Bette Davis line; fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

(Image from file)

FMI: www.modelaircraft.org    www.faa.gov/uas/registration/faqs