The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) annual safety awareness campaign, Drone Safety Day, will take place on April 25, 2026. This annual outreach initiative focuses on promoting safe and responsible operation of unmanned aircraft and increasing public awareness of airspace rules. The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has supported these safe […]
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FAA UAS Violation Policy Updates
On April 16, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a new initiative intended to accelerate enforcement actions involving certain drone violations. The program, titled the Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response (DETER) program, was introduced in a brief press release on the FAA’s website, as well as a statement from William McKenna, the FAA’s Chief […]
Continue readingAMA Advocacy: H.R. 6460 passes U.S. House of Representatives
On Tuesday, March 24, H.R. 6460, a bill championed by AMA that will simplify altitude extensions and airspace permissions, has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will move forward in the legislative process. H.R. 6460 was previously introduced in December 2025 on AMA’s behalf by Reps. Tracy Mann (R-Kansas, […]
Continue readingFAA UAS Survey
Over the past month, many recreational fliers have received an FAA survey requesting feedback on items such as communication preferences and flight habits pertaining to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). AMA can confirm that this is a legitimate email survey, which the FAA’s website covers here. The FAA has employed a […]
Continue readingFCC Foreign UAS & UAS Component Decision
On Monday, December 22, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released DA 25-1086, stating the addition of all uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS components produced by foreign entities onto the list of items banned for posing an “unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.” This concerning news reached AMA and other airspace stakeholders quickly after its release. It appears […]
Continue readingH.R. 6460 – Full Markup Committee Meeting
On Thursday, December 18, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a Full Committee Markup meeting to hear several legislation proposals for comments and markup before they go to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. Among the resolutions considered was H.R. 6460, which has been championed by AMA because we work with Congress […]
Continue readingAMA Advocacy in Action: H.R. 6460
AMA is excited to share the introduction of a new bill which represents the efforts on AMA’s part to continue delivering greater flexibility and tangible improvements for our community. As members may recall, AMA secured higher altitude ceilings for AMA club fields in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace in April 2025 […]
Continue readingShutdown of United States Government
On October 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., the US government shut down because of congressional gridlock over questions of federal funding. Essential services related to airspace safety will continue to operate during this period, but AMA members might experience some minor disruptions, depending on how quickly the shutdown is resolved. […]
Continue readingFAA Releases Updated Advisory Circular AC 91-57D: What You Need to Know
The FAA recently released Advisory Circular (AC) 91-57D, replacing the previous version, AC 91-57C. While this latest update is largely administrative in nature, it also incorporates updates resulting from the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, particularly as it relates to recreational UAS operations. These changes reflect continued efforts to refine and […]
Continue readingSenate Commerce Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing for New FAA Administrator
On June 11, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation held a confirmation hearing for the President’s nominee for FAA Administrator, Bryan Bedford, who was previously the CEO of Republic Airways, a regional airline headquartered in Indianapolis. AMA Executive Director Tyler Dobbs was in attendance for the confirmation […]
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