Congress just released a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. This bill is the result of closed-door negotiations between leadership of the House and Senate and includes significant modifications to the Special Rule for Model Aircraft, also known as Section 336. While some […]
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Government Affairs Update, July 30, 2018
As the U.S. Senate focuses on FAA reauthorization legislation, members of the AMA Government Affairs team have met with senators and their staff in Washington D.C. in recent months to share the importance of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (Section 336). This past weekend, we traveled to Oshkosh, Wisconsin […]
Continue readingFPV IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., SPECIAL FLIGHT RULES AREA (SFRA)
For decades, AMA members have enjoyed our hobby under our programming, whether it’s soaring, aerobatic, or FPV. Although AMA provides robust safety programming to enjoy our hobby, there are situations in which operators might be required to comply with additional rules, such as in the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules […]
Continue readingUAS Stakeholders Launch Initiative to Educate Public on Drone Laws, Call for Enforcement
Today, the nation’s leading unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) stakeholders, led by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), launched a new initiative to educate the public about the existing drone laws they must follow and the consequences if they ignore or break the law. The new advertising campaign – Even the […]
Continue readingFourth Quarter 2017 Government Relations Update
As the New Year begins, the AMA Government Relations team would like to take a moment to update you on our work during the last few months of 2017 to represent and protect our hobby at the federal, local and state level. Federal Government Relations Over the past few months, […]
Continue readingEnforcement is Needed for Airspace Safety
You may have seen coverage of a hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday about emerging uses for UAS, as well as an FAA report released this week about drone airborne collisions. Some in Washington have responded to these developments by calling for more regulation and blaming hobbyists generally. We’re writing to share with you our […]
Continue readingThird Quarter Government Relations Update 2017
Over the past few months, the AMA Government Relations team has been hard at work representing – and protecting – the model aircraft hobby in Washington, D.C. and across the country. We wanted to share with you some of our work and progress during the third quarter of 2017. Federal […]
Continue readingAMA President Promotes Drone Safety During Speaking Tour in Virginia
Recently, AMA partnered with the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV), the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) to host a series of safety seminars across Virginia. As a part of these events, AMA President Rich Hanson spoke about how to safely […]
Continue readingSinger’s Victory in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a favorable decision in a lawsuit brought by Newton, Massachusetts resident Dr. Michael Singer. The Court ruled that a local ordinance severely restricting unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations in Newton is in violation of the federal government’s authority to […]
Continue readingGovernment Relations Update, September 12, 2017
We would like to update you on our recent government relations efforts in the U.S. and across the globe. Following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and Irma, we have been in conversations with the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the FAA on how to properly leverage UAS during natural disasters. […]
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