Drones are a growing part of our lives — they’re on television and everywhere in the news. And on Sunday June 14, model aircraft enthusiasts from across the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. metro area will gather at UAS Academy in Fairfax, Va., for RoboFest 2015.
The development of new technology — and its popularity — has significantly outpaced the amount of education people receive about how to fly. To keep our communities and airspace safe, everyone who is flying should take the time to learn how to do so responsibly.
I started flying radio controlled model airplanes when I was 12 years old. When my dad and I built our first plane, we went to the local Academy of Model Aeronautics Club and District of Columbia Radio Control Club to get help and instruction with this new and exciting hobby. My dad had built and flown free flight planes in the 1940s. Now my interest in aviation had rekindled his, and away we went.
Back then, model aircraft were not as common as they are today. The best way to learn the ropes was through local flying clubs. That’s why I joined the AMA and the DCRC in 1969. I’ve been flying ever since.
Since its founding in 1936, AMA has become the largest organization of recreational unmanned aircraft (model aircraft) enthusiasts in the world. It has been working to educate its members about how to use this technology safely, and in the right places, through a community-based set of safety guidelines and education programs like the AMA Flight School. AMA has given me and hundreds of thousands of others the tools and training we need to fly model aircraft safely and responsibly. I have always been involved in training and teaching, and I personally have helped thousands of RC enthusiasts to fly safely and have fun with our hobby through the DCRC Club.
AMA has expanded these educational efforts and attracted new enthusiasts to the hobby. Along with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Federal Aviation Administration, AMA launched “Know Before You Fly.” This education-focused campaign seeks to put important safety tips in the hands of new flyers. For more specific information about where to fly, the FAA also recently announced that it will soon roll out a mobile app, called “B4UFLY,” that uses GPS to show where one may fly in the area. AMA is supporting the development of this app as it goes through the beta testing phase.
Here are are a few simple guidelines for those thinking of flying for the first time:
• Consider seeking help from a local community-based organization, like AMA, to learn to fly.
• Unless operating within an established community-based safety program, fly no higher than 400 feet and remain below any surrounding obstacles when possible.
• Remain well clear of, and do not interfere with, manned aircraft operations. You must see and avoid other aircraft and obstacles at all times.
• Do not intentionally fly over unprotected persons or moving vehicles, and remain at least 25 feet from individuals and vulnerable property.
• Contact the airport or control tower before flying within five miles of an airport.
I want everyone to experience the joy of flying like I have. But to keep everyone safe, when you are taking to the skies make sure to be aware of your surroundings and armed with these safety guidelines.
Andy Kane is former president and chief flight instructor of the District of Columbia Radio Control Club (DCRCC). He has been a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics for over 45 years. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
