Earlier this week, the AMA Executive Council and the Government Affairs team took a trip to Washington, D.C. to advocate for our hobby. We had many productive and encouraging meetings with leaders at the FAA, members of Congress and several of our allies in the aviation community.
Throughout these meetings, we continued to emphasize AMA’s commitment to safety and education. We also highlighted examples of how flying model aircraft is a pathway to STEM-related to careers and the work we do to support local charities.
Importantly, we discussed the upcoming FAA rule-makings for recreational UAS, and we were encouraged by the positive tone of the dialogue. The FAA recognizes the importance of the model aviation community and wants to continue our longstanding partnership. On Capitol Hill, members of Congress pledged support to AMA and stand ready to weigh-in with the FAA on our behalf, as needed.
We also spoke with representatives from ATC to discuss the Letters of Agreement process. We’ll continue working closely with them to ensure that there is no disruption in our ability to fly. We’ve also learned that LAANC (the FAA’s low altitude authorization and notification capability system) will be available for recreational operators in controlled airspace on July 23, 2019. Currently, only Part 107 pilots have access to LAANC and recreational pilots are able to fly only at charted flying sites in controlled airspace. We will provide more information regarding LAANC as it becomes available.
Rest assured – we are taking a proactive approach in working with government officials to influence the new regulations for recreational UAS in a way that is favorable for AMA members.
Thank you for your continued support of AMA. As always, please reach out with any questions at amagov@modelaircraft.org.
Kind regards,
AMA Government Affairs Team
