United States of America and Canada[edit]
In the United States, on June 18, 2014 the FAA clarified its position and stated that it is illegal to operate a model aircraft via FPV flight.[4] Commercial use of unmanned aircraft is prohibited by a policy statement of the Federal Aviation Administration pending ongoing regulatory proceedings. The Academy of Model Aeronautics' (AMA) official Safety Code's rules (which governs flying at AMA affiliated fields) allows FPV flight under the parameters of AMA Document #550, which requires that FPV aircraft be kept within visual line of sight with a spotter maintaining unaided visual contact with the model at all times.[5] Because these restrictions prohibit flying beyond the visual range of the pilot (an ability which many view as the most attractive aspect of FPV), most hobbyists that fly FPV do so outside of regular sanctioned RC clubs' membership and those clubs' flying fields.