So if the FAI requires a RDT, does that imply that any foreign modelers entering any FAI event in the USA is actually flying an R/C model?? 

There is one thing about this that seems rather odd is that your post is the only one so far on either this forum or the NFFS forum.

But if things get totally muddled I have a plan B, an Sn3 model railroad. No FAA to make life more confusing than it needs to be.

staubkorb wrote on May 11^th, 2019 at 7:20am:

7 MARCH 2019 EMAIL FROM THE AMA REGARDING RADIO OPERATED DE-THERMALIZER


The Safety Committee, as well as AMA’s Government Relations team, reviewed your inquiry and discussed it. There is a general consensus that if you are adding an RC system to the plane it would be considered an RC plane. As such you could be part of the AMA Park Pilot program; however, it would also mean that your model and your operation would now fall within the FAA’s requirements and Public Law 115-254, section 349. Currently free flight model operation does not fall within the FAA overview.
 
I put a post on the FFFS Forum earlier today.

staubkorb wrote on Oct 14^th, 2018 at 8:40am:

Yep, that is a problem. I was planning on adding a small "pod" or bulge on the bottom of the fuselage. Or if desperate, on top of the fuselage under the wing. Being careful to maintain wing incidence. Not a perfect solution but it might get me in the air and on the way. Either way, I kind of muck up the looks of the design.

staubkorb wrote on Oct 11^th, 2018 at 4:30pm:


That is good information. Thanks.  I have also contacted the AMA to see if a radio controlled dethermalier equipped model qualifies as a Park Flier. There reason I am interested is so that I can pop the dethermalizer if I am in danger off going into the trees. A preset DT involves more guess work than I can handle. Of course using a rudder might be the ultimate solution. The curse of a smallish field.

Now I get it. Thanks for the clarification.

Sky9pilot wrote on Oct 8^th, 2018 at 3:52pm:


Does "E-flite" refer to a specific company, or is it a generic modeling term? I went to the E-flite web site but found it unlike any other I have visited. I decided that given my low-level of computer savy, I would leave that one alone.

So I live in Connecticut, not quite free flight heaven. My preferred flying field is a primary school field, surrounded by trees on 3 sides with the parking lot, playground and more trees on the remaining side.

My son has suggested using a dethermalizer. I added the R/C bit. The question is is a 4 gram servo, 2 gram receiver plus a small battery and switch too much for something like the Sig Mini-Maxer to haul around? I could build something as big as  P-30 but anything else is definitely out of the question. Although something in the 20 - 24 inch span is more to my liking.

Sound reasonable for an experiment, or am I asking for too much out of the gate?