MUNCIE, Ind. – Dave Mathewson, executive director of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), today released the following statement that the organization is joining the U.S. Department of Transportation’s task force to develop a streamlined registration process for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS): “AMA looks forward to working with government and […]
Continue readingCategory: Drone
California governor vetoes bills regulating hobbyist drone flight
Original article by Megan Geuss – Oct 5, 2015 4:13pm EDT Over the weekend, California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a number of bills that would have increased penalties for flying drones over wildfires, grade schools, and prisons in the state. One of the most notable drone bills that got vetoed […]
Continue readingAMA Responds to the FAA’s Drone Sighting Report
The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has released a detailed analysis of the data alluded to in the FAA’s August 12 press release, “Pilot Reports of Close Calls with Drones Soar in 2015.” A close examination of the 764 records reveals a more complex picture of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)activity […]
Continue readingFAA: Washington DC is a NO DRONE ZONE
June 30– As the July 4 holiday approaches, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reminding residents and visitors to Washington, D.C. that the city and surrounding communities are a “No Drone Zone.” The prohibition against flying any type of unmanned aircraft, or “drone,” without specific approval includes the District of […]
Continue readingAMA to attend FLYSAFE Chicago
AMA will join dozens of UAS pilots attending FLYSAFE Chicago later this month to introduce them to AMA and the work it has done for model aviation. FLYSAFE is a 3-day rigorous training course for the safe and effective operation of low-range unmanned aerial vehicles and systems. AMA has attended […]
Continue readingFAA Streamlines UAS COAs for Section 333
The Federal Aviation Administration has established an interim policy to speed up airspace authorizations for certain commercial unmanned aircraft (UAS) operators who obtain Section 333 exemptions. The new policy helps bridge the gap between the past process, which evaluated every UAS operation individually, and future operations after we publish a […]
Continue readingAMA Responds to Multirotor Demonstration on Fox & Friends
On February 4th, during a segment on “Fox and Friends” a quad-copter being flown by an editor from Popular Science magazine was seen flying, uncontrolled, into the morning show’s production crew. AMA believes the demonstration was conducted in an unsafe and irresponsible manner and has sent letters to Fox News […]
Continue readingSpecial message from Academy of Model Aeronautics President Bob Brown: We stand for education, not regulation
By now nearly everyone is aware of the incident that occurred on Monday, January 26, 2015, involving a multirotor landing on the White House lawn. The incident occurred at 3 a.m. and involved a government employee who had been drinking. The incident resulted in reaction from many, including President Obama, […]
Continue readingGovernment Employee Crashes Small Drone at White House
As reported in the New York Times… By Michael D. Shear and Michael S. Schmidt, Jan. 26, 2015 WASHINGTON — The small drone that crashed into a tree on the South Lawn of the White House early Monday morning was operated by a government employee who has told the Secret Service that he did not mean to fly […]
Continue readingAMA’s Rich Hanson to speak at AirVenture OshKosh Forum
TITLE: Drones and Air Safety Forum DATES: Friday August 1st HOURS: 8:30am – 9:45am PLACE: Forum 11 – maps DESCRIPTION: The number of Drones, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, in our airspace is growing rapidly. Can drones co-exist safely with traditional aircraft? This presentation explores the often ambiguous subject of Drone Safety, Rules, […]
Continue reading