Comment from Jonathan Lester

My name is Jonathan Lester and I have been flying RC model airplanes after I flew control line ones. It seems to me that if we are flying line of sight at an approved location that your proposed rules are useless unless you are trying to create more jobs and gain control of something that we have been in control of for many years. As an AMA member we have insurance to cover almost all of the possible mishaps that may occur and have good supervision at the flying sites that are approved by the AMA. There may a place for some identification for First Person View and long trip areas of flight that have no actual line of sight visibility when flying. That may require some additional training and rules if near an airport. I have also been a holder of Single engine Land Commercial Pilots license since 1956 or 1957 and I think I know a little about what you think you know. Granted some of you may have some expertice with real flying and RC flying but you need to listen to us that have been doing this for a long time and know what is or not needed for safety. We do not need to have to license all of our RC Planes or have transponders in them. I have used them in real aircraft and been glad I had them a few times but they have no place in line of sight RC planes. I build my planes and fly them and do not want to have to have all of the plans approved and then have FAA inspections like we do for real ones. In plain English, we are doing OK with very few if any problems at all at our sites and do not need the FAA interfering where we have been having no problems for so many years. Jonathan F Lester