FAA Reg, Fly for Fun

[slr001]

SO this "rule" confuses me...

Under the Fly for Fun category, Operating Rules:
"Must follow community-based safety guidelines."

That is very vague and allows for a wide interpretation. I don't see anything specific that can be enforced based on this guidline.

Please lets not get into a rules debate. Just want to know how this is interpreted by the Fly for Fun crowd.

 

[mrdave543]

Community based is refereNcing rules provided by AMA, which you should join.

 

[slr001]

But given that they did not name them specifically... It is just very vague. It doesn't even mention it being a group to join.

"community based safety guidelines". Could be a local flying club, a local town ordinance, a county ordinance.

In other words, I could easily say that my City (community) has no other safety guidelines and call it good?

 

[beachcombing]

Read this.
FAA Acknowledges AMA as a CBO and our Safety Program | AMA Government Relations Blog

And this.
Model Aircraft Operations

Specifically ...

The criteria of § 101.41(b) includes a requirement that model aircraft operations be flown “in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization.”

At this writing, the only nationwide community-based organization (“CBO”), the FAA has acknowledged by name, (by referring to it in a footnote to its June 2014 Interpretation of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft), is the Academy of Model Aeronautics (the “AMA”). Therefore, unless and until another CBO comes into existence, you must follow the AMA’s Safety Code.

According to the FAA, you do not need to be a member of a “particular” CBO to comply with Part 101, but rather you need to operate in accordance with a CBO’s safety guidelines.

 

[Andrew F]

It also means your local community guidelines. For example, my city passed a law that says a neighbor can ask that you don't fly over their house and you must then avoid flying over that specific house.

 

[slr001]

And correct me if I am wrong. the AMA is a private organization. Not affiliated with the FAA.

Why would the FAA set up regulation, and registration, and then outsource the guidelines to a private organization?

And given that I thought I saw some conflicting guidelines between the two.

Not that any of this is a big deal, just trying to get my head around it.

 

[halley]

Why would the FAA set up regulation, and registration, and then outsource the guidelines to a private organization?

This is exactly why the FAA paperwork barely mentions AMA. While AMA is a great organization, it's not seen as an official arm of the government. However, the government has worked enough with the AMA that in lieu of finishing its own official law/regulation, they are hoping people consider the AMA guidelines to be useful enough. As Andrew F above notes, it's not just one community you have to placate, it's pretty much all of them (within reason, as judged by the people who respond to the complaint calls).

 

[beachcombing]

And correct me if I am wrong. the AMA is a private organization. Not affiliated with the FAA.

Why would the FAA set up regulation, and registration, and then outsource the guidelines to a private organization?

And given that I thought I saw some conflicting guidelines between the two.

Not that any of this is a big deal, just trying to get my head around it.

Because the AMA has a HUGE lobby. And extensively lobbied the FAA to get named at the CBO.

 

[OCsurfer411]

AMA has a lobby, but I'd hardly call it "huge". You want to see a "huge" lobby? Look at the AARP, or Monsanto, or Exxon.


Sent from my iPad using MavicPilots

 

[voxelman]

Community based is refereNcing rules provided by AMA, which you should join.

Just completed my AMA membership application. For those that have questions about AMA membership, I suggest that you look at it this way: What other organization do we have that has a track record of advocating for our hobby? As the old saying goes, either we hang together or we hang separately.