Jump to content

CAA price increase !!!


Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, john stones 1 - Moderator said:

Myself and others have asked "What's your plan" No replies ?

I did suggest a co-ordinated mail campaign addressed to the Secretary of State. It might not produce a result, but it would remind him of our displeasure - especially as he was once so vocal in opposition to more regulation for model flyers.

 

But it would need pretty much the entire membership of all the modelling associations to write, and it seems that most are ready to just roll over and do as they are told.

 

Apathy rules, OK?

 

--

Pete

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Peter Christy said:

I did suggest a co-ordinated mail campaign addressed to the Secretary of State. It might not produce a result, but it would remind him of our displeasure - especially as he was once so vocal in opposition to more regulation for model flyers.

 

But it would need pretty much the entire membership of all the modelling associations to write, and it seems that most are ready to just roll over and do as they are told.

 

Apathy rules, OK?

 

 

So do tell us, why will modellers doing exactly the same thing they have already done multiple times (in addition to the national assicoations making formal representations to the authorities and engaging in multi-year negotiations to secure the current agreements) get us a different result now? 

 

PS - A first class stamp now costs 95p, so make sure you use email to the Minister otherwise you will have spent 95% of the discount when he inevitably caves in to your demands to remove the "price hike"... ??

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It may not achieve anything. But it will remind the minister that we are NOT sheep. We are also voters! There may not be a lot of us, but in a tight election, every one counts.

 

I do hear and understand what you are saying. I am just fed up by constantly being ignored by the powers that be. Sometimes it is useful to remind them that we do have minds of our own, and don't believe everything that governments tell us.

 

If we just continue to accept things without protest, we will soon regret it.

 

--

Pete

 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 24/03/2022 at 09:42, MattyB said:

 

Registration may be straightforward, but don't forget Remote ID is now enshrined in US law with implementation looming in the medium term - dates and further details are on the FAA site...

  • September 16, 2022:
    • Drone manufacturers must comply with the final rule's requirements for them.
  • September 16, 2023:
    • All drone pilots must meet the operating requirements of part 89. For most operators this will mean flying a Standard Remote ID Drone, equipping with a broadcast module, or flying at a FRIA.

I confess that I am not familiar with the fine details of the final rules that have not yet been implemented, but this does not sound too onerous, since most current AMA model flying sites will be classified as FRIAs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 24/03/2022 at 14:10, Peter Christy said:

I did suggest a co-ordinated mail campaign addressed to the Secretary of State. It might not produce a result, but it would remind him of our displeasure - especially as he was once so vocal in opposition to more regulation for model flyers.

 

But it would need pretty much the entire membership of all the modelling associations to write, and it seems that most are ready to just roll over and do as they are told.

 

Apathy rules, OK?

 

--

Pete

The Secretary of State is a woman, and given her record, I doubt Priti Patel would give a tinkers cuss about anything model flyers think. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, John Stainforth said:

I confess that I am not familiar with the fine details of the final rules that have not yet been implemented, but this does not sound too onerous, since most current AMA model flying sites will be classified as FRIAs.

 

Unfortunately the text I've highlighted from your post is a significant and unproven assumption at this stage.

 

Yes, the final ruling is better than the original where FRIAs could only be applied for for the first year (yes, really!). However, the FRIA application process (and costs) is still to be announced, they require review and recertification every 48 months and the FAA can refuse them if another is close by. They can also refuse new applications or shut existing FRIAs based on some other very general criteria  - "...(if the FRIA) poses a risk to aviation safety, national security, homeland security, or public safety. That seems like an awful lot of wiggle room that authorities could use to eradicate sites that are inconvenient for political or business reasons, or simply to pacify disgruntled members of the public with an axe to grind.

Edited by MattyB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Lima Hotel Foxtrot said:

The Secretary of State is a woman, and given her record, I doubt Priti Patel would give a tinkers cuss about anything model flyers think. 

 

I suspect the Sec of State the OP was referring to was Grant Shapps, Sec of State for Transport - he did get personally involved in this some time ago.

Edited by MattyB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 27/03/2022 at 19:05, Lima Hotel Foxtrot said:

The Secretary of State is a woman, and given her record, I doubt Priti Patel would give a tinkers cuss about anything model flyers think. 

Odd that 4 forumites cannot tell the difference between the roles of the Home Office and Department of Transport.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

                

57 minutes ago, Peter Jenkins said:

Odd that 4 forumites cannot tell the difference between the roles of the Home Office and Department of Transport.  

      That's because the ministers swap jobs so often we cant keep up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, J D 8 said:

                

      That's because the ministers swap jobs so often we cant keep up.

Unfortunately for your argument, both have been in post since Johnson came to power in July 2019. 

 

Any model flyer who took an active role in trying to get the best out of the drone laws would have been aware that it was from a meeting with Grant Shapps and the model aircraft associations that Shapps directed the CAA (a part of the DfT) to get together with the model aircraft associations and come up with a sensible solution.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Peter Jenkins said:

Odd that 4 forumites cannot tell the difference between the roles of the Home Office and Department of Transport.  

Not really. A lot of what is put in these type of threads is poorly thought out, unresearched, reactionary, knee-jerk, off-the-cuff, point-scoring, asinine and unhelpful to everyone. 

 

I include myself in the above because I have self awareness. 

Edited by Lima Hotel Foxtrot
Irony
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question that I'll be asking each year is "what benefits and advantages there are by having such a scheme in the UK"?

In three pages of discussion so far, I don't feel that that simple question has been answered satisfactorily.

 

See you next year..........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does ut really matter. Its now law so either abide or at some point face prosecution or even pay for any injury damage out of your own pocket because insurance companies will always do their best to mitigate payout.

Edited by Zflyer
Predictive txt drat
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those who have indicated that the increase is not the most pressing issue in their lives, are probably in the majority. One significant difference is that increases in shops, is in general not signalled, the price just changes and does make a difference..

 

Will the increase have any impact on their modelling/hobby activities, most certainly not. What may possibly have an impact is the increases of new model prices. If in any way true, the impact could be more significant to the retail and the wholesale parts of the hobby. Yet Covid had a positive impact on the retail part of the hobby. Shows what I know.

 

Most unfortunately high inflation is with us at present, with many price increases.

Edited by Erfolg
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Cuban8 said:

The question that I'll be asking each year is "what benefits and advantages there are by having such a scheme in the UK"?

In three pages of discussion so far, I don't feel that that simple question has been answered satisfactorily.

 

I'm confused as to why it is you believe members of this forum owe you a "satisfactory answer"? It's not forumites views that are important; it's those of the authorities in their various forms (UK Government, EASA, CAA etc). Why are you posing these questions to us instead of your local MP, or asking the national associations what you can do to support them?

 

As I explained earlier in this thread, the government/CAA position (as published in many, many documents in the last 5-6 years and discussed at length in the Science and Technology Select Committee in 2019) is that registration is a foundational control for the integration of large numbers of recreational and commercial SUAS in low level airspace. The reason governments are interested in this now is because they think (or more accurately have been told by big 4 consultantancy firms, Amazon and the logistics companies) that opening the door to increased commercial use will bring in tax £££s and jobs to the country.  

 

By "foundational control" they mean something that enables other more specific controls (such as remote ID and more simplified enforcement) to be implemented. 

 

Whether you agree with that or not, it is their position, and despite extensive efforts from the model fliers and the national associations over the last 5 years no alternative to registration could be found that the government believed was as effective. As a result it is now a legal requirement, and if you want to overturn that you are going to have to come up with something a lot more credible than "What good is registration doing for model fliers?" - this was never about protecting our rights, it is all about future tax receipts.

 

If you do have a credible idea then great - take it to the BMFA and/or the government in some form, but please spare us the rants about a £1 increase here.  I wouldn't expect too much though given Dave Phipps and his team investigated literally every possible option and never found anything governement would accept. No other country has rejected registration either once it was put forward, or rolled it back after implementation (at least not as far as I am aware).

Edited by MattyB
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matty can put it much better than me, but the first step to realising what we get ? Is accepting that change happened, and it ain't that hard then to see what we get.

 

We also got experience from dealing with the changes and the departments responsible, that will be useful going forwards, we gained acceptance at the onset of new laws coming into being, how can that not be a good thing ?

 

Nothing new has been said, bombard the powers that be, they'll draw the same conclusion as I have "They've got the hump over a £1".

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see the united front displayed by aeromodellers in the UK as a significant factor in tempering the relatively benign legislation pushed upon us. Such a campaign against an insignificant rise - less than tuppence a week - might dilute the impact of a similar mobilisation against some future draconian imposition. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What we get is a 13 digit number on our aircraft that weigh more than 250g. Nothing more , nothing less! 

The BMFA/ SMAE/ LMA have  run the model flying scene with little incident. What we’ve been bulldozed into is, an auction of the sky under 400’, started by the amazons of this world who predicted that drone delivery was here to stay. It was hailed as the next greatest convenience in shopping.....and was about successful as get your groceries from Lidl in a Sinclair C5

Edited by cymaz
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, cymaz said:

What we get is a 13 digit number on our aircraft that weigh more than 250g. Nothing more , nothing less! 

The BMFA/ SMAE/ LMA have  run the model flying scene with little incident. What we’ve been bulldozed into is, an auction of the sky under 400’, started by the amazons of this world who predicted that drone delivery was here to stay. It was hailed as the next greatest convenience in shopping.....and was about successful as get your groceries from Lidl in a Sinclair C5

 

So maybe if it IS spectacularly unsuccessful, this will be repealed - just like radio licenses were.

 

Personally, I doubt it. But what we have, thanks to BMFA, is much much better than it could have been.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The model flying bodies have my thanks and gratitude for the work they’ve done. I just think it’s been unnecessary from the start. 

All the law abiding flyers were on the bmfa database. A new one need not have been introduced. 

Still, it’s where we are today. I feel a bit like Jacob Marley.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...