My letter to the FAA
My father used to take me to the flying field. I would watch him build model planes from balsa kits in the garage. After many hours of work and trips to the hobby shop we would wake up early in the morning to go watch others fly their planes and eventually watch my father fly his plane. It was fascinating to watch something my dad created in our garage actually get in the air under its own power.
This world of creation and flight fascinated me. It still does.
After nearly 25 years of a hiatus my dad once again found the bug. This time with less hard work to make it happen but the same great entertaining result. For my thirtieth birthday my dad gave me the bug. I have since been catching up from where we left off all those years ago.
This hobby over the last few years has provided me much pleasure and entertainment. As a photographer by trade, flying models gives me a needed break and the occasional mix of work and pleasure. I've moved from helicopters, to planes and on to multi rotors. I have passed along new technology, skills and even videos on the internet as my dad now lives over 1,200 miles away. We still connect over the hobby that he and my grandfather started fooling around with long before I was ever a twinkle in my father's eye.
I now have a son of my own and I plan and hope to take him to the park and/or the flying field to become fascinated with flight, building, engineering, creating, imagining.
By putting limits on this hobby the FAA is essentially putting an end to the next generation of great thinkers, doers and creators. They will kill an entire economy that people have created and enjoy with friends & family. People losing jobs over unthoughtful regulation is silly.
Regulation for some parts of this hobby are needed and there will always be someone who pushes beyond the legal boundaries but to punish everyone isn't the right answer. Teaching and working with the hobbyists and leaders in the field will get us to a place that everyone can agree on and understand.
Lets be patient. Lets be smart. Lets go fly something.