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 […]
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FAA Authorization Extended to September 30, 2018
The AMA Government Affairs team has worked diligently with Congress to ensure our hobby is protected in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation. On March 23, President Trump signed the omnibus spending bill into law, which includes a six-month extension of FAA authorization, funding the FAA through September 30, 2018. […]
Continue readingGovernment Affairs Update, March 26, 2018
We wanted to share with you a bit of what the AMA Government Affairs team has been up to over the past few weeks, including recent outreach and at the federal, state and local level to advocate for and protect our hobby. Federal Government Relations This month, our team attended […]
Continue readingMore Education and Enforcement is Necessary for Unlicensed Commercial UAS
Last month, AMA President Rich Hanson wrote an op-ed in The Hill about the two ways for recreational drone enthusiasts to legally fly. The default drone law for these pilots to follow is the FAA’s Part 107 regulation, which requires a remote pilot certificate. The only exception to this rule […]
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 readingPunish rogue recreational drone pilots — not the rule followers
We would like to share with you a new op-ed by AMA president Rich Hanson, which was published in The Hill newspaper: “Punish rogue recreational drone pilots — not the rule followers”. The Hill is a news outlet in Washington, D.C. that many members of Congress, and their staff, read on a regular […]
Continue readingSigning of the NDAA – FAA’s Registration Requirement for UAS
Last month, we shared new information about the FAA’s UAS registration requirement, which Congress has reinstated. President Trump signed the bill today, restoring the UAS registration requirement, including for AMA members. Q: If I already registered, do I have register again? A: You will not have to register again since this […]
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 readingFAA’s Registration Requirement for UAS
We are writing to update you on the FAA’s registration requirement. Today, Congress finalized legislation that will reverse the earlier court ruling in the John Taylor case and restore the FAA’s UAS registration requirement, including for AMA members. We expect this legislation – the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for […]
Continue readingGovernment Relations Update, November 7, 2017
It’s been a busy fall for the AMA Government Relations team. We are writing to update you on some of our recent work at the federal, state and local level to advocate and protect our hobby. Last week, the team spent time in Washington, D.C. discussing possible waivers with the […]
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