Here we have a weight restriction.. 55lbs all up. We can go over on the weight, but the aircraft then requires specialzed certification and the flight area has to be secured via specialized insurance waviers.
Further.. here we fly under an organizational umbrella that provides insurance to clubs and representation in Washington that coordinates frequency assignments and basic saftey certifcation of flying sites. As a rule, operations in areas near airports are sharply controlled.
The advent of these new electic 'park flyers' has tossed a pretty good sized wrench into the works though; the mfg's and distributors of these toys promote them as 'backyard flyers' and such. As a result, more and more folks are pulling 'em outta boxes and launching 'em in a vacant lot without the slightest clue as to basic saftey and airspace over homes and such taken into account. Flying an R/C plane ain't 'easy', and the results are sometimes less than what the 'traditional' flyers consider acceptable.. frequency encroachment on active channels at nearby certified flying sites, planes into traffic on roadways or into a little leauge game, thru house windows and up in trees on private property, just to name a few...
But, the worlds into 'instant gratification', and if the stuff is out there, folks are gonna buy it and try to fly it.. without insurance, basic instruction, or a clue in the world that what they are embarking on could just kill somebody.
*sigh*
And, that's why I'm not much of a 'fan' of the little electric toy airplanes.
