Johnathan Vail
Johnathan VailSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter, an AMA member and FPV quadcopter racing hobbyist, supports the new rules for small unmanned aircraft systems. They request specific wording to allow FPV goggles for hobby use and suggest weight and height exceptions for small drones to help the sport flourish safely.
As an AMA member I support and applaud the new rules. It is needed to keep some safety and order to the new technologies. However as a hobbyist in the new sport of FPV quad copter racing I would like to see some wording added to allow FPV goggles for hobby use.
Since most of the FPV racing takes place near the ground with small "250mm class" no more than 500 grams I think an exception to allow FPV flying under average buildings and trees or 50 feet in open terrain would allow this new sport to flourish without added risk to other aircraft or people. Both weight and height restrictions for FPV flying are acceptable without encumbering the sport.
Most developed countries already allow this for small aircraft and the US can join the world community on equivalent terms for FPV flying.
Thank you for your consideration.