If you’d like to join in on the FAA protest in DC:
http://www.helpsaveourhobby.com/
If you’d like to comment on the FAA NPRM on Remote ID:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/12/31/2019-28100/remote-identification-of-unmanned-aircraft-systems
Steve Petrotto and I sat down for about an hour to talk about the statement that Horizon Hobby put out regarding the Remote ID NPRM from the FAA. You can see Steve’s response in Rotor Riot here:
Good morning everyone,
There is quite a lot to discuss here but first, on behalf of Horizon, let me clarify our statement. When we mentioned GPS and camera-equipped platforms, our intent was to separate hobby-grade radio control enthusiasts from autonomous capable systems that can cause safety issues. Unlike RC, these systems are capable of BVLOS and have been at the center of high-profile media coverage lately. Those cases are causing unneeded pressure on our hobby. Unfortunately, the government has decided to include all UAS under the same category and we are doing our part to speak to the delineation. Horizon supports the FPV community and has done so for years. Team Spektrum FPV, MultiGP Sponsorships, Drone Worlds Team Sponsorship, several FPV product releases, etc.
Keep in mind the FAA proposal that is over 370 pages is quite vague. Some of you commented that Horizon’s response was vague and didn’t support the FPV community. Our intent was not to be vague, we were trying to break down the very large FAA document into a few key actions that we need to focus on to provide feedback to the FAA.
Now to discuss the personal side of this. Many of you know me as the guy on the recent Horizon Hobby video and probably don’t have a great opinion of me right now.
Those of you that know me well, remember I have been a strong member of the FPV community since 2015. In 2016 I took home second place at Drone worlds in the wing category, have helped launch nearly every FPV based product here at Horizon and created our sponsorship group Team Spektrum FPV. Now that I’ve changed roles a bit at Horizon, my job is to lead up the marketing team but recently I’ve been tasked with informing the community at large the potential impact of FAA remote ID proposal and get some action out of the community to help drive the conversation to the FAA during the comment period.
As a long-time RC hobbyist, I completely feel we all have integrated into the national airspace while the bigger problem is anyone who operates their autonomous flight capable platform in ways that is harmful to the remainder of the RC hobby. Unfortunately, those platforms and users are not using judgment and safety standards that are consistent with the RC community.
While there are many reasons the FAA has proposed Remote ID, much of it has nothing to do with the RC community at the end of the day. But we do know the proposed regulations currently stand to greatly impact our hobby.
FPV flying, when done with a spotter in a safe environment is no different than traditional RC in my mind. FPV is an awesome way to experience flight like no other. Those of you in the MGP racing community know this best. However, we all need to speak up to the FAA and let them know that the RC hobby is different.
Unfortunately, my video didn’t seem to fire on all cylinders. Yep, I said it, we made a communication mistake. The intent was the show the difference between the passionate consumers living in the RC world and those who are sending their “drone” into protected airspace or unsafe scenarios. Ultimately, the FAA is tasked with doing something more to protect the NAS. Our goal is to minimize that impact on the RC community. At no time was our intent to dismantle the FPV community or upset you guys in any way. Our goal is to support the RC hobby as a whole and do our best to mitigate the impact of these recommendations.
I do urge you to take this energy and aim it at the FAA comment to really help protect the hobby we all love. Not because I’m being personally attacked now, but because the FAA has only received 10,000+ comments. I know there are more FPV pilots than that for a fact. I know there are hundreds of thousands more RC hobbyists than that out there as well. We all need to provide our point of view in a productive way on the FAA NPRM.
Comment to the FAA here:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/12/31/2019-28100/remote-identification-of-unmanned-aircraft-systems
Have a great weekend.
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Steve, chin up buddy! Days will get better and I am glad to hear that you want to stand with the community in correcting the NPRM.
I hope horizon hobby will consider helping us rally this protest together. We need as much participation as possible not just pilots. We need people there who’s careers depend on this Industry. People who use this technology to educate students. If we get everyone firing on all cylinders we will have the most impact.
Michael Rollins.. the Barbara Walters of YouTube..
I love your interviews man..
Your video did piss us fpv guys off, but your human and we don’t always word things the right way. And thats expected its life no hard feeling with me. Bottom line we gotta protect our hobbies with the FAA. Thats what matters..
Well, I’m just starting to watch, but I just wanted to say something, respectably, to Steve.
People joke that Trappy caused this FAA thing… Because he flew FPV over Washington and ended up being sued by the FAA.
It’s a joke, obviously… There’s much more under the table. Including lots of money and so on…
But the thing is: Trappy did that not with a quadcopter/drone, but with a flying wing! Which has only one motor, so it pulls much less amps, so can fly much longer and go much further!
And, BTW, people fly rc airplanes with FPV as well! I do FPV even with rc cars!
So… Nothing you said in that video really makes sense…
I support Horizon 100%. I know what Steve meant, and I feel for him and Horizon. Anyone reading this. This is a tough time for everyone in the hobby. Don’t let it destroy us from the inside. But make sure to comment to the FAA to protect the hobby we all enjoy. The FAA is the one we should all go after, not Steve Petrotto and Horizon.
Well… Now I guess I understand better the situation… Fantastic interview, Michael! Thanks a lot!
Mr. Petrotto… I’m really sorry for all this miss communication. And I’m really sorry for the threats and so on…
Honestly, I never bought anything from HR because… Well, because I’m from Brazil and I don’t even know if you guys deliver in Brazil. ?
But if you do I would buy from you. Absolutely no problems. ?
Horizon hobby is worried about one thing there bottom line
How about the FinalGlide rules. You interview, I answer and you post the whole thing. I like those ones the best.
Nice job Michael. Glad to hear Steve’s comments. Humble, respectful and genuine. I was sure he didn’t mean it the way it came across. I’ve worked with Steve myself for many years. I used to be a HH dealer. They mean well for the community. RC is as Steve said… in their blood. Just like us.
Awesome interview. Thanks Steve Petrotto!
Itt: petty bullshit
MODEL /UAS AIRCRAFT DEFINED A model/UAS aircraft is a small sized unmanned aircraft or, in the case of a scale model, a replica of an existing or IMAGINARY aircraft
NO exclusions
Now you need to interview RC informer , his video was worse than Horizons..LOL
I’ll comment as i watch this video, if I don’t i’ll forget my thought….No, the fact you didn’t support NPRM was noted, it was not over-looked, but the fact you basically, in a round about way, blamed the NPRM exisiting in the first place on FPV, that’s the issue.
It’s pretty clear after watching the original video and this interview that HH was speaking on behalf of traditional RC modelers who fly LOS aircraft. That has been their primary user base. As usual it’s unreasonable to follow the politically correct view that everybody has to stand for everybody else all the time. Their perspective is that FPV aircraft in general, whether it’s quads or planes, is largely what led to this NPRM, which honestly makes sense as they are a much bigger threat than LOS aircraft to national security. You have to realize who they are and who they are generally speaking to. I have operated LOS aircraft and cars for many years before FPV became a thing but am now primarily into FPV so I am not really biased toward one side or the other. Hating on this guy and making him give excuses is unreasonable given his perspective. He wasn’t entirely wrong. We as responsible users should just stand up for ourselves rather than talk shit about this distraction, although it did not exactly help our case. The enemy is irresponsible users, not traditional modelers.
Thanks Steve for the clarification, great interview Michael. Thanks to both for reaching out and helping the industry. Mistakes are made, we cant let the biggest one be that the FAA removes the freedom we all enjoy from every aspect and version of flight!
Bill Clinton and Obama change the patent laws to where they snuff out the private inventor’s every day of the week. Now the numbers of patent applications are declining the past 2 years.
None of these politicians/ lawmakers care about the intellect of the human race
I certainly don’t think they care about hobbyist.
Amazon can take your technology away from you and use it for their own profit.
The Academy of Model Aeronautics, based in Muncie, Indiana, USA at, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of model aviation as a recognized sport as well as a recreational activity. It is the largest organization of its kind with a current membership of approximately 195,000 members, with nearly 57,000 of these being youth members under 19 years of age. If this is true how come only 10,000 people have left comments on the FAA page.. forget what Horizon did we all make mistake all you AMA people we need your help to drive change.
Thank you for clarifying and thanks Mike for giving Horizon (and Steve) the opportunity. Please everyone comment on the FAA site. It’s needed.
These FAA proposals are a very emotive issue, we all know that and I felt let down when I viewed the HH video. I fly fixed wing, helicopters and quadcopters, including GPS quadcopters as well. There is no excuse for personal threats against HH or HH staff. We must all stand together on this fight. We all love flying RC and should all tell the FAA that they are wrong to do this to our hobby. Love and Peace from the UK.
You have lost the passion for FPV Steve. If someone tried to shut down HH I bet you would have the same response.
You are entitled to your opinion but remember us poor pilots that live for this hobby.
Good on Steve Petrotto. Did a great job of explaining
Hey buddy! Has anyone thought to possibly approach Kristian Koch about the FFA dullshit. If I was social media savvy I would try and contact her but I’m not.
5 to 10 aircraft in fleet? More like 50 – 100.
If only you could put nearly as much effort into opposing the FAA Proposed Ruling as you do trying to beat up on a good guy that is trying to help you would be much more productive.
Point 1: Steve is one of the good guys. Point 2: We have been flying RC aircraft safely for a VERY long time. Point 3: It has only been since FPV and Long Range fliers have become more popular, does the FAA see the need to act more aggressively. Nobody is under the bus, just the facts. I am a “Modeler”, I am a Camera Drone operator, I am a FPV racing drone operator, just like many or most viewers. I was cool with registering as a pilot…even tried to register multiple crafts when they changed the rules…but this is getting really out of control. Last Point: Steve is NOT the problem.
This dude needs a life. Lamee
the thing is no matter what we fly we all are in trouble right now we all need to get together and fight this we can’t do this alone united we stand divided we fall we show more numbers when we all are united
Horizon Hobby will lose a lot of business if this go’s thru. Which I do believe will pass. There are not that many modelers in the USA. And remember the US Government does what they want and does not care. This will line there pockets. The hardest thing to do would to get everyone to boycott Google, Amazon, Fedex, UPS, USPS and etc. These are the one’s behind this. They have Billions of dollars to give to the politicians!
Excellent interview.
My take is that Horizon has terrible messaging/PR when it comes to the NPRM. Despite that, i fully believe that Horizon wants to support all aspects of in-flight RC. I met with them several weeks ago to discuss the NPRM, and came away from that meeting feeling confident that Horizon is on everyone’s side. They just need improved messaging.
Your all good ?
I was flying my drone and got distracted by this video and crashed it into a plane which crashed into a preschool for bunnies
This dude can gtfo. My money won’t be going to horizon hobby. If you’re with us, be with us. If you ain’t, then be ain’t.
I wont be buying from Horizon Hobby.
Please man please… Watch your framing please.. My ocd goes nuts lol.. Ever heard of the Rule of thirds? Frame your head higher, between the first and second vertical third and you’ll agree it’s so much better lol.. Even Steve’s framing is better than yours lol
1.20hr of jibba jabba, Jesus Christ
I also see the coments are turned off on the vidio this jackass made fear not horizon hobby i have totaly sold off all my spectrum radio gear which is overpriced junk anyway and it will be a cold day in hell before i will order from them again
I think his comments have been misinterpreted in his video and this has clarified some of them. I agree that the hobby should stick together and unite but in some ways their are different categories the same as in manned aviation. Light aircraft, balloons, military and commercial aircraft all have different rules. I think that unmanned aviation such as GPS and non GPS UAV’s and the speed they can fly are different and should be looked at in the same way as manned aircraft. Just a thought, just for the record i fly both FPV and GPS camera self built UAV’s.
You weren’t wrong Steve! Edit: This is for Michael, either move farther away from your mic or make sure your mouth isn’t dry before going live. Smacking your mouth so often, so close to the mic, makes you hard to watch…….
FAA even wants to regulate large Paper airplanes and indoor FPV flying! Read this Remote ID comment to see how:
I just would like to Add something that many might not be Thinking of. Not only I am a Model Aircraft Pilot but Also a HAM Radio Operator. While the FAA is attempting to require Communications from Model Aircraft, someone needs to understand that The Airwaves (Frequencies) are also becoming somewhat Crowded sue to Everything Wireless being adapted the last few years. Based on the amount of Modelers who would be required to operate Aircraft that would Actively need to utilize the Airwaves to Communicate information on the Models they are flying, it would further cause additional Congestion on The Airwaves. In my Opinion, this issue is Really about Clearing the Airways in order to Allow Amazon, Fedex, UPS and many others to begin to utilize the Airways to Deliver packages, yet this Clearance (an Unfair Clearance) will eventually Prevent and Destroy The Radio Control Industry. The Next Fight will be between the FAA & the FCC, again, The Losers will Ultimately be the Consumer. It will make Modeling a Hobby that will be Reserved for High Income Consumers, absolutely Unfair to The Majority. Thanks to Everyone who is Supporting Modelers in this time of Vulnerability. I also want to say I Fully Support Safety to Everyone…Period.
Is it just me or is it funny that in a country where almost any idiot can but a gun. They think drones are dangerous?
Humiliating. Like a broken CPSU member forced to recant some crime against the party.
What frequencies is that transponder going to use? 2.4 and 5.8GHz are way too low range to be tracked from centralized base stations. 900MHz will travel for miles but will need additional radio transmitter. Also you will need GPS hardware if they require position information, all this adding weight. And don’t all the telemetry receivers already support all this? The other option would be a GSM/LTE modem pinging FAA server over internet but that would require some kind of a monthly bill and also the possibility to fly unlimited range.
No Way !!!
Registered my Quad back in 2016 and never again.
Was gonna get my part 107 to be able to make some money but there is too much competition to even think about making a living off just that unless you are a big company.
Now this bullcrap?
There is small airport in my town that does not even have a control tower and I fly 1.5 miles away from it usually around 200 feet.
What I know for a fact is that quite a few private manned planes and helis do not squak their ident.
Not sure if it’s a malfunction or done on purpose, all I know is their ID is not visible as they fly over my house.
MY QUAD IS NOT UNREGISTERED, IT IS UNDOCUMENTED !!
The only thing the FAA will accomplish with this overreach will be to make alot of hobbyists and part 107 pilots outlaws and as such, the 400′ AGL will go out the window for most pilots.
If you are already in violation of flying without remote id, what would be the difference of violating the 400′ and above airspace.
The FAA should just walk away from this and let people enjoy a decades long hobby.
Questions, comments all welcomed.
There are plenty of us FPV people that capture cool videos but do it in a safe way and dont put anyone at risk that isnt aware of the risk. However there are plenty of people in the FPV community that have been putting people at risk that dont have a clue of the risk just cause they want to chase a super car on busy occupied roads. Many people watch their videos and think I can do that and then they do just to try to get views and recognition. These are the people that bother me cause they dont care about anything but trying to be the next famous FPV person.
One hour and twenty minutes of every last drop of dignity drained out of Steve Patratto.
At the Principal’s office..