The FAA Shut Down Every Drone Club Within 30 Miles of Washington, DC


December 29, 2015 // 11:49 AM EST


The Federal Aviation Administration has shut down at least 36 model aircraft clubs in the Washington, DC area, citing a new, extended no-fly zone for drones around the nation’s capital.


The FAA has been worried about the proliferation of drones for several years now, and in September extended a 15-mile no fly zone surrounding Washington, DC’s National Airport to 30 miles. The FAA has cited national security issues and airspace safety as the main reasons for its DC no-fly zone, called a "Special Flight Rules Area,” but many of the sites shut down have existed for years with no safety concerns. It’s unclear if or when the sites will be allowed to reopen.


Many of the clubs exist in huge fields many miles outside the Washington, DC border in suburban Maryland and Virginia. Fourteen of the 36 sites are accredited by the Academy of Model Aircraft, meaning they generally comply with baseline safety guidelines and are not located near airports.


The DC area has one of the country’s largest drone hobby organizations, called the DC Drone User Group, the existence of which is threatened by this new action. It regularly has fly-ins and meetups in large open fields to introduce people to the hobby. Christopher Vo, the president of the organization, said that the FAA enforcement action is a "show-stopper.”


"In 2016 we're going to try to do more indoor flying events to get around DC area restrictions because the demand is so high to find a place to fly,” Vo told me. "Many of these fields could be down and out for many more months to come.”


Last week, FAA sent an email to the AMA demanding that it shut these sites down because they are within a 30-mile radius of Washington National Airport. A new guideline issued in September made flying drones or model aircraft anywhere within this radius illegal, according to the FAA.


"We are hearing reports that some individuals may be flying inside the SFRA even though they know it is in violation of the current airspace restrictions,” Brian Throop, manager of the FAA’s special operations security group, wrote in an email to the AMA and several flying sites in the area. "We are asking for your help in spreading the word to the National Capital Region model aircraft community that such activity is subject to enforcement action.”


"UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE THE FAA HAS REQUESTED THAT ALL FLYING OPERATIONS BE DISCONTINUED. THIS IS A NO FLY ZONE."

The AMA then passed this message along to its 14 independently-owned and operated clubs in the area, asking them to shut down and imploring them, "Do not contact the FAA on your own.”


"We have every reason to believe that this is a temporary situation,” the AMA wrote in an email to its members. "Persons operating aircraft within the SFRA are subject to civil penalties and or criminal charges.”


Several clubs in the area posted notices on their websites and Facebook groups telling their members that operations are suspended indefinitely. In a separate email, the AMA told clubs in the area that it expected the FAA to reopen the clubs sometime in mid-January, though the agency has rarely made exceptions to its no-fly zone in and around DC.


"You will not need to close the field, only cease operations temporarily, no flying of anything, until mid-January when we expect to get permission to continue operations for all fields … the FAA did indicate they were going to use law enforcement to enforce this,” an email sent by the AMA’s Ray Stinchcomb said. The AMA added that it is working with the FAA to get special permission for its flying clubs to continue operations.


"Effective as soon as you can please post this suggested sign at your flying site:


THIS IS A NO FLY ZONE


UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE THE FAA HAS REQUESTED THAT ALL FLYING OPERATIONS BE DISCONTINUED.


THIS IS A NO FLY ZONE”


It’s worth noting that a 30-mile radius around Washington National Airport encompasses not only the most heavily populated areas of the DC metro area, but extends well into rural areas in southern Maryland; rich, spacious suburbs in Northern Virginia and Maryland; into parts of the Chesapeake Bay; and nearly all the way up to Baltimore. As a native of the area, some of the areas encompassed by the no-fly zone are hardly what anyone would consider the "metro area.”


"AMA seems to think that this whole situation will be resolved by mid-January, but we all know how slow things roll at the feds,” Vo said.


http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-faa-shut-down-every-drone-club-within-30-miles-of-washington-dc

--

Welcome to the f list FAA






FFAA

Who didn't see shit like this coming?

Anyone with a pilot's license or work in the industry has thought that for years.

Just overdoing it like they did with the whole DC flight restrictions.  

Oh boo fucking hoo... we must protect the special snowflake politicians so that they never have to experience any part of real life.




Editted out comment because it may offend politicians and you know that can't happen.











 

I love how the AMA tried to get in bed with the FAA.

All they got was bent over the table and fucked in the ass.

FFAA and FAMA

FPNI.

FFAA!

And I don't even own a drone or any other RC aircraft.

They will probably have to file a flight plan and follow ADIZ proceedures to continue flying drones.  No biggie until you find out the drone rules and ADIZ rules are incompatible.

Nope. I was looking into getting an electric park flyer as a hobby about a year ago and discovered that under the current rules, any outdoor RC aircraft flight is prohibited within 15 (now 30) miles of Washington DC. At the time, I didn't have a car down in VA so there was no way for me to reasonably get outside of the prohibited radius so I dropped the idea.

In a way this is good, it shows they are aware that there are people in the general population that are tired of there hunger for power and money.

I would like a 30 mile drone free zone around me, I am just as important as they, if you don't believe me ask me.

A new guideline issued in September made flying drones or model aircraft anywhere within this radius illegal, according to the FAA.

Washington D.C. is just a large (failed) HOA.

Yup. And unfortunately, its tentacles keep extending outward into NOVA and beyond. The only thing that makes living in Arlington better than DC (in my opinion) is the fact that I can carry where I live.

Typical .gov

Can't control it so we will just ban it.

I was thinking it (DC) was more like executive operated section 8 housing unit.

Mean while the people doing the banning are also the ones wanting to import people who would be likely to try to kill someone with a drone in the

first place.

Is it a demand or a request?

The AMA is a prime example of what would have happened if the NRA became best buds with ATF.

 

Ray Stinchcomb mentioned works for the FAA. Article says he repped AMA, I doubt it. Unless things have changed,he's been the FAA guy overseeing Warbird type ratings.

Indeed they are.

Crazy shit isn't it?

For a couple of decades the model aircraft hobby was ignored by the FAA and left to self-regulate. It is the explosion of quadcopters that don't have a steep learning curve that broke that paradigm.

lol. multiple drones using the same frequencies in a given area.  Prove it in court... though, I don't want to prove it in court

Don't forget the Estes scare around 2003. They were looking to kill model rocketry. Did that ever happen?

These clubs should go to the NRA and see if they can develop land into gun clubs

Nothing more than a request if the article is correct.

http://www.dc-rc.org



these guys used to fly in my old neighborhood


25 miles away from the whitehouse in Germantown MD


 

Requests don't have threats of arrest and civil fines associated with them.

So that'll stop some nut from flying his "drone" around the White House..........?

Genius. Shut down the organised and regulated clubs, now only outlaws fly drones.

"Do not contact the FAA individually"


Ok


866-835-5322

"We're from the government, and we'll help you fly safely."

Pricks.

As of midnight last night, I am no longer AMA Member #998XXX.

Fuck 'em.

Step 1: Import terrorists

Step 2: Restrict Freedom for "safety"

Step 3. Enjoy the New Amerika.

TL/DR???  

This is more akin to shutting down High-Powered MOdel Rocketry after 9-11

 Same thing happened to Tripoli with BATFE

FFAA

They never went after Hobby Rocketry...it was the High-Power community that got fucked. the Over-the counter class motors that didnt require any cert (Up to G IIRC) were fine and readily available it was the big stuff  and Re-useable casing motors that were affected, it pushed a lot of people out of the hobby altogether because of the BATF Requirements

30 freaking miles!!!  On a clear line of site I can barely get my drone to go over 2 miles.  That is freaking ridiculous.

If you like your drone you can keep your drone.

It'd be pretty amusing if the FAA went by to check that nobody was flying drones anymore and instead found a large group practicing their rifle marksmanship.

This is a perfect example for any special interest group in the future

 

With FAA uniform/logo Target Silhouettes


 

I guess the FAA is putting in a req order for stingers and shotguns now.

I don't understand the hate for the AMA.  They followed the law and attempted to work with the FAA.  Most of the people in the r/c community completely misunderstood the FAA, everyone thought the FAA was looking for common sense regulations.  Most of the people in the gun community understand what "common sense" means.  



On the upside, there are now a million + new people that have a new understanding of "common sense laws".

What about Pigeons?

What defines a "drone"? Just being able to fly and having a camera on board streaming back to the controller?




BTW I don't see how they can enforce these "rules/laws" worth a damn. Regulatory law is getting more and more annoying to citizens since it's all because the "powers that be" just don't want you to do something.. I think more and more people are beginning to get the "fuck you" attitude.

 

And people wonder why we don't have flying cars yet.