Model airplane group seeks to restore image tarnished by drone pilots
Jim Steinberg
An industry group representing hobby model airplane enthusiasts since 1936 has asked federal agencies to stop characterizing their members as the irresponsible drone pilots who interfere with aircraft fighting wildfires.
The Indiana-based Academy of Model Aeronautics said in December that it created a “Know Before You Fly” campaign to educate the “legions of new ‘drone’ fliers taking to the skies.
“Our concern is that our members are broad-brushed with a small number of irresponsible people that don’t know the rules,” Richard Hanson, AMA government and regulatory affairs representative, said in a recent telephone interview.
In the letter, the group blamed recent drone confrontations — several which occurred in the skies over San Bernardino County — to enthusiasts who have disregarded public safety.
“Errant consumers flying in an unsafe manner do not represent the organized hobbyist community,” said the letter to the top administrators of the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Hanson said drone pilots who interfered with wildfire-fighting efforts in Southern California have been referred to as hobbyists when it is not known who they really are.
“They could be someone hoping to sell their images to a news media outlet or someone seeking to get known on YouTube,” Hansen said.
Late last month, as drone legislation traveled through Congress and the state Legislature, San Bernardino County supervisors set aside $75,000 in potential reward money for tipsters who would help authorities arrest and convict drone operators who interfered with firefighting efforts at three recent wildfires.
At the Lake, Mill2 and North fires, firefighting aircraft were temporarily grounded because drones flew above the fires, presenting a hazard to pilots.
At one point in the North fire, five drones were spotted above the blaze. As a result, planes and helicopters that drop flame retardant or water were ordered away from the area for pilots’ safety.
“Our more than 176,000 members know where to fly and where not to fly,” the letter said. “They know how to check for temporary flight restrictions, such as those put in place around wildfires, and to stay well clear of any unmanned aircraft.”
The website knowbeforeyoufly.org has a newly created click-on icon explaining the importance of not flying near wildfires, Hanson said.
The AMA has negotiated agreements with two of three major drone manufacturers to put educational materials about regulations and safe flying practices inside boxes containing drones and related parts, Hanson said.
Negotiations are proceeding with the third, he said.
At a recent industry trade association meeting in Atlanta, the organization began enlisting the help of major retailers and web distributors to help get the message out, Hansen said.
“The FAA commends the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) for its commitment to safety and education,” said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. “It is critical that all hobbyists adhere to the AMA’s rigorous standards to ensure that model aircraft operations pose no hazards to manned aircraft or to people on the ground,” Gregor said. “We value our partnership with the AMA and will continue to work closely with them to promote safe model aircraft operations.”
Some members of the AMA are concerned that new laws proposed in several states could endanger the opportunity for its members to fly model aircraft.
Don Baligad, a Yucca Valley resident who purchased his first drone about six months ago, said he believes that some of the drones in the skies could be from news organizations or governmental agencies.
John Miller, a spokesman for the San Bernardino National Forest, said his agency does not use drones in California.
