Originally Posted by brushless55

No contract, no commercial anything needed!

AMA does nothing for AP work or Hobbyists out side a AMA event
big deal man, to bring up AMA with this

Originally Posted by AerialSkyCam

This is the type of response from someone who is either not an AMA member, or has just started in AP, or both.

You seem not to understand I contribute greatly in our heli hobby here on RCGroups, HeliFreak, and RunRyder. As a member of AMA, Radio Control Aerial Photography Association, sponsored pilot, and president of AerialSkyCam, I have tried to assist you. But my understanding is you have made up your minds. Clearly, it seems both harryarnold, brushless55, and I are in different categories when it comes to RCAP, model helis, and life in general. I will contribute to this thread, but will not be drawn into debates such as yours.

said it once and I will say it again...
AMA does nothing for pilots doing AP work..
this is a fact
AMA will not stop anyone from doing AP work
another fact
you do not need to be an AMA member to do AP work
another fact

how do I know this?????
well its called a phone call to AMA and had a chat with a gent there

another fact... anyone one who brags on themselves on the web is the first person I stop listening to

you have been asked a question by another member on this forum in this thread and you FAIL to answer and jump around it

big surprise? nope

Lots and Lots of people doing AP work and making money!
fact

dang just youtube it man!

Patrick,

Did you see M-16 Films has closed their AP Business down due to the FAA regulations.

Here is a link:

http://mi6films.com/2011/rc-helicopt...-airspace/687/

BTW, thank you for the letter. It was well written!

*Never mind - do your own thing when it comes to AP... all I have to say is if I believed the sky was falling 5 years ago, I would never have gotten as far with AP as I have.

Hellsiege *Never mind - do your own thing when it comes to AP... all I have to say is if I believed the sky was falling 5 years ago, I would never have gotten as far with AP as I have.

With your commercial aerial photography advertising, http://rockymountainap.com/ I am suprised you haven't received a letter from the FAA. I personally know 9 businesses that received a letter. They also indicated a $10,000.00 fine.

Originally Posted by Hellsiege

*Never mind - do your own thing when it comes to AP... all I have to say is if I believed the sky was falling 5 years ago, I would never have gotten as far with AP as I have.

Its great to hear your AP business is doing well inspite of some who want to scare others off because of competition
I would love to see some of your work

Originally Posted by AerialSkyCam

With your commercial aerial photography advertising, http://rockymountainap.com/ I am suprised you haven't received a letter from the FAA. I personally know 9 businesses that received a letter. They also indicated a $10,000.00 fine.

I sell coffee cups for $500 that come with free aerial photos

I edited my post as I'm not going to lay out the details for anyone to get myself or the FAA rep I worked with in trouble, but I do have personal experience working with the FAA. Within 1 mile of their tower on a government air force base... They gave me clearance to fly via a flight window, knew what I was doing, max ceiling etc... and they we're kewl with it as long as i called before takeoff and once landed and had cell for emergency contact. Guess they assumed I was doing it for free though too.

I just think myself and others are playing in a "grey" area currently. A few years back I jumped on the bandwagon to help get the rules going, have to check the books but think I even donated to Patrick's and RCAPA's (that the right acro?) fund when Patrick was lobbying for our cause. 90% of what I do now is run my small hobby shop, that webpage rarely gets updated unless it's "Mast" aerial photos as I still do a lot of those for realtors. Rules are coming, I just don't think they are here yet. Also there are hundreds of sites like mine out there. I heard about those 9 sites getting letters almost two years back now. Anyone currently getting letters?

I sell coffee cups for $500 that come with free aerial photos

lol! That's one way to do AP.

I heard about those 9 sites getting letters almost two years back now. Anyone currently getting letters?

Yeah, this guy got a letter in September 2012.

http://www.aplanding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6209

Stephen Born
www.aerialskycam.com

Originally Posted by AerialSkyCam

Yeah, this guy got a letter in September 2012.

http://www.aplanding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6209

Thank You for sharing. Good to know, curious if I'll get one.

I frequent APL but not as much as I used to... Think my balloon pic is still on the front page. Need to get back there more often I see

No problem. Here to help. I have spoken with you several times on RunRyder and AP Landing. I go by " AerialSkyCam" on all the sites.

I am currently taking full-scale pilot training for my pilot license.

Here is a link to my helicopter training.
http://m.rc.runryder.com/helicopter/t716432p1/

Here is my video of me flying the R22.

First Flight Robinson 22 Helicopter - FAIL (8 min 10 sec)

I should have my pilot license in 2 years, then I can do AP legally.

I find comment #6 interesting in that thread......

"we have not responded. Figured the mighty FAA would come for a real visit if they actually saw us as a violator or threat. Honestly, the letter feels more like spam and we'll treat it as such until they knock on our door. Maybe they are looking for some sort of self implication as such. It's been more than the time allotted and no contact yet. Who knows....."

Of course there are guys out there who can legally fly whatever they want wherever they want, as seen in the following video. I'm sure they don't want to share the skies with anyone else, and they have the power to make that happen. The presentation of the material is filled with rhetoric and has a conspiracy-theory type of sensationalism to it. In spite of that, there is some truth in there.

30,000 Drones Over America! Obama's Weaponized Police State! 2012 (5 min 52 sec)

Law enforcement, Govt., and Universities are the only entities that can obtain a COA. If this wasn't so, I wouldn't be taking classes for my full-scale pilot license.

Thanks for the video Jovanx.

Originally Posted by AerialSkyCam

Law enforcement, Govt., and Universities are the only entities that can obtain a COA. If this wasn't so, I wouldn't be taking classes for my full-scale pilot license.

Thanks for the video Jovanx.

Im sorry. maybe you missed my post.. I didnt see a reply.
sir,
i have only asked you for the exact statute that backs up your statement that one has to be a " full scale commercial pilot" to legally fly UAV AP.
I was just curious as i couldn't find the statute/law/rule you represented.

Will you please respond so everyone won't think you are full of it.
Honestly seems like you dont want any competition out here.
Prove me wrong and post the statute.
thanks
(not a link to people talking about a statute either !!)

reposted from realestate AP blog

The government doesn’t really care about anyone’s safety or privacy; it is, in fact, the greatest violator thereof. It doesn’t take much thought to infer the real concern: If someone is smart enough to build (or just buy) an unmanned air vehicle, whether that is an airplane, helicopter or other, and equip it with photographic equipment, then he has the intelligence to equip it with almost anything — use your imagination — and possibly cause a great deal of damage from a significant distance… and with little or no risk to himself or chance of tracing it back to its source.

The power to harm others without any personal risk or accountability is, among other things, is a power that the government wishes to be reserved only to itself and its agents. This is not hyperbole. This is a plain fact.

Safety concerns? Yes, accidents can happen, but they are few and far between, especially in commercial ventures. Privacy concerns? Maybe. However, the claim “we’re just trying to help/protect you” is, purposefully or not, always just a smokescreen for the real reasons and a distraction from the ultimate goal. As usual the government is either (1) simply not being honest about its concerns and intentions, or (2) is simply incompetent. Either way, the way it almost always approaches these matters is to begin by forcibly regulating the smallest possible group — the one that is not large enough to put up any effective resistance and/or has too much to lose — and then expand from there until everyone is regulated, coerced, controlled. It has happened with everything else. It will happen here too.

Regulation of the tinkerers and aviation enthusiasts/hobbyists wouldn’t be effective, but it is effective to tell small business and the self employed — people who are generally compliant and law-abiding — “we will utterly destroy you” if you violate our new rules. They will grouse, but they won’t engage in open defiance due to the possible consequences to themselves.