Dear Members, President Trump today signed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 into law, which contains several provisions relating to our hobby. As we previously mentioned, AMA championed some of the provisions included in the bill on behalf of our nearly 200,000 members. Other provisions will require a closer dialogue […]
Continue readingAuthor: AMA Staff
How the New Bill Could Affect Our Hobby
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 was passed by Congress and expected to be signed by the President soon. Once this legislation is enacted into law, there will be a transition period which means we will still operate under elements of Section 336, but we’re not sure of the timeline. […]
Continue readingAirspace Map
The map below helps operators identify the airspace around them. A blue circle (often with grids) represents controlled or restricted airspace. Other colored circles or no circles represents uncontrolled airspace.
Continue readingAMA Response to Commercial Drone Alliance
AMA’s number one priority is the safety of our nation’s skies. Through Section 336, AMA safely manages 200,000 members – as the organization has done for more than eighty years – freeing up scarce FAA resources to advance commercial drone regulations and other priorities. At the same time, AMA lends […]
Continue readingWhat Does Remote ID and Tracking Mean For Our Members?
As you may be aware, AMA participated in the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) advisory panel, which made recommendations to the agency on creating standards for remote identification and tracking unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The ARC identified technologies to allow law enforcement, homeland defense, national security and air traffic control […]
Continue readingWhite House UAS Pilot Program
Today, President Donald Trump and the Department of Transportation launched the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program. Over the next year, five to twelve communities will be selected by the FAA to test new drone programs in close coordination with the UAS industry as well as state and local governments. Next […]
Continue readingStay Clear of Hurricane Harvey Emergency Response Efforts
Along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) urges all drone and model aircraft hobbyists to stay clear of Hurricane Harvey emergency response efforts in south Texas, including air ambulances and search-and-rescue operations. The FAA has also issued two Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) in Houston […]
Continue readingGovernment Relations Update July 14, 2017
The AMA Government Relations team continues our work in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere representing the model aviation community. Last week, our Director of Government Relations, Chad Budreau, participated in a two-day Unmanned Aircraft Safety Team (UAST) meeting with other industry stakeholders and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This discussion […]
Continue readingGovernment Relations Update, June 29, 2017
AMA is working hard in Washington, D.C. to represent and protect our hobby. We want to share with you more information about our activities this week. First, AMA President Rich Hanson attended two meetings of the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), which brings the industry together to provide recommendations to […]
Continue readingCongress drafting legislation for model aircraft
The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate this week released proposed legislation for FAA reauthorization. We are pleased to share that both bills preserve the Special Rule for Model Aircraft and even contain some of the new provisions AMA has been advocating for to further protect our hobby. And while the Special Rule remains in both bills, there […]
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