Month: August 2011

Information received at the recent AUVSI conference indicates the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for FAA’s proposed regulation for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) is on track for release in mid December 2011. It’s anticipated the new rule will address model aircraft operations and will provide a provision for community based organizations such as the AMA to submit their own set of standards. If adopted, these standards will provide the modeling community an alternative means of complying with the sUAS rule. At this point AMA is hard at work in developing a set of standards aimed at allowing the aeromodeling enthusiasts to continue enjoying the hobby in much the same way as they do today.
AMA is also preparing for the release of the NPRM. Once released there will be a 90-120 day public comment period allowing AMA members and other stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. AMA is working toward providing its members a simple and effective means for responding to the NPRM. It will also provide analysis and commentary on the impact of the proposed rule and suggestions for improving the rule before the Final sUAS Rule is published in late 2012.