SEN 2080
Table of Contents – SEN 2080
- USA FAI licenses
- Per Grunnet right on F1S, but wrong on F1Q
- CASA in OZ
- FAA and sUAS
USA FAI licenses
FAI licenses (a.k.a. a FAI ‘stamp’) are required for flying abroad as individuals and for team members. In World Cups only those with a FAI license are counted in term of placing and bonus points. Having a FAI license and flying Q in a World Cup contributes the event’s participation statistics and the journey to becoming an official FAI event.
To get a FAI license one can go onto the National Aeronautic Association site (naa.aero). On the membership application page answer No to joining and Yes to a sporting license. On the next page apply for an air sport license, list the AMA as the air sport organization and your AMA number to retain it. Keep in mind that a FAI license is valid for a year from the day of issue. NAA charges $45 for the license, AMA a $100.
Aram
Per Grunnet right on F1S, but wrong on F1Q
From: BRAWN DAVID
Per Grunnet right on F1E, but wrong on F1Q
How heartening to hear Per enthuse on E36, a simple class with easily understood
rules that is gaining traction amongst free-flighters interested in small field
power flying and competitions. E36 is easy to understand with its maximum size,
minimum weight, no gadjets, and fixed maximum engine run.
However Per is wrong to think that E36 flyers will graduate to F1Q as the
concept of ‘equal joules’ is difficult both to understand and goes against all
the thinking behind successful free flight competition classes. Comparing F1B
motors to F1Q rules is to misunderstand the concepts, just try flying your F1B
with 30 grams of knicker elastic instead of Tan!
The big problem with F1Q is that no one knows what the engine run is for your
model except yourself, making regulating what is an ‘over-run’ on a contest
flight impossible for CDs and jurys.
When F1Q adopts a fixed time maximum engine run is when flyers will move to the
class but not before. Any class that needs a calculator along with electronic
knowledge and a correct interprettation of the FAI rules for each competition
flight will get the support it deserves – like one or two fanatics but never
general acceptance.
Biggles in Australia
CASA in OZ
From : Malcolm Campbell
Hi Roger
With regard to the Roger Willis topic FAA DECISION on Model Airplanes In SEN 2079, Australian modellers met with CASA, the Australian equivalent of the FAA, in March this year to discuss the future of FF model aircraft. Things looked grim. The meeting with myself and another in my club took place with two senior officials of the Sport Aviation wing of CASA. We took along a small selection of models (P30, F1A and F1B, even a CLG). The result was very positive as they didn’t really understand what we did, how we did it or what size our models were.
They found an Excel spreadsheet (attached) I prepared for the meeting very useful. It discusses the various model sizes, describes key classes and also suggests distance travelled in flight and after DT. I’m sure this could be altered to the USA classes.
Please feel free to distribute this to interested parties.
Regards
Malcolm Campbell
FAA and UAS
Recently the FAA announced the result of the working committee on sUAS. Small Unmanned Aircraft systems, which includes what is known as drones and model aircraft.
The AMA was part of the committee but very unhappy with the result. The AMA wanted the report to include that they did not agree with recommendation but were not permitted to do so. The AMA points out that aspects of the recommendation are contrary to what the US Congress had specified.
Full details are on the AMA web site – www.modelairaft.org
The summary of the recommendation is that all operators of sUAS that weigh more 250 grams and are flown outdoors have to be registered with the FAA. This ruling if put in place would apply to traditional model aircraft as well as what the public may call drones or multi-copters. The idea is that people would register by mail or on line and get an FAA id that would have to be on the aircraft or inside in and easily found place. There is no charge for the registration. There is a potential fine of upto $25000 for failure to comply. The registration would include supplying the name and address. It also requires the person to be 13 years or older. Note that visitors to the USA would also need to register. Note that it does not require that every sUAS be registered with the FAA, only the operator, who puts the FAA ID and his name and address on each sUAS he operates.
Of interest to free flighters is that previously the AMA had succeeded in getting both free flight and control line aircraft excluded from most actual and proposed restrictions. This is no longer the case.
This report is, at this point only a recommendation and it has to go for approval but the plan it put it in place before the end of the year.
Note that with reference to Malcolm’s item above the FAA committee decided that there were too many different types of sUAS to the easiest was to distinguish which applied was solely by weight. For example they decided it was too complicated to have one rule for FPV and camera UAS and one for another . You can read about this in the AMA and FAA reports
…………………..
Roger Morrell