All pilots, including those visiting from outside the United States, are required by the FAA to register if they plan to fly most unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) weighing 250 grams or more outdoors. FAA registration can only be completed online using a United States based computer. Therefore, it is recommended […]
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Drone Safety Pitch Pays Off for Model Aeronautics Group
Check out the recent AMA article from Associations Now!! The Academy of Model Aeronautics’ big challenge has been bringing casual drone users into the fold in terms of drone safety regulations. Here’s how it approached the issue. Rich Hanson and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) had a serious problem […]
Continue readingUpdated Analysis of FAA Drone Data Shows Decline in UAS Sightings
AMA today released an analysis of the FAA’s latest drone sightings that were made public in March 2016. This follows an analysis we previously released in September 2015 on the FAA’s first dataset of drone reports. We’re happy to share that our latest analysis shows a month-by-month decline in UAS […]
Continue readingCongressional Process Stalls
Congress is in the process of updating FAA’s goals and authority, which includes regulations on model aircraft. To accomplish this task, the Senate and House must separately draft and pass their version of FAA’s reauthorization bill. The two bills then go to a conference committee to resolve any differences. After […]
Continue readingRoswell Flight Test Crew at AUVSI Xponential 2016
The Roswell Flight Test Crew has a conversation with Chad Budreau for the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). The discussion begins with a pair of announcements made by Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta at AUVSI Xponential 2016. First, that the agency is forming a permanent drone task force, to […]
Continue readingAMA Statement on FAA Drone Advisory Council, Educational Use of UAS
AMA applauds the FAA for making it clear that students can use UAS, including model aircraft, for educational purposes. For years, model aircraft have been used for science, technology, education and math (STEM) education without burdensome requirements on teachers and students. In recent years, AMA advocated that new regulations for […]
Continue readingLondon’s Heathrow incident believed to be a plastic bag, not a drone
The Telegraph published an article today indicating that the incident at London’s Heathrow airport this past Sunday could have been caused by a plastic bag – not, as had been previously reported, by a drone. United Kingdom Transport minister Robert Goodwill stated that,“there was no actual damage to the plane” and […]
Continue readingTested.com: RC Flying and the Law in 2016
Terry Dunn shares how 2016 is going to be a pivotal year for our hobby in his latest Tested.com article. The current situation is still very fluid as regulations are still being hashed out. The article discusses the community-based organization model, altitude limits, trends in retail, and how some proposed […]
Continue readingFAA More Accurately Characterizes Drone Sightings, But More Analysis Needed
AMA is pleased to see the FAA more accurately characterize its recent drone data as ‘sightings’ and ‘reports’ rather than the more inflammatory terminology that was used last summer. When the agency previously released this data in August 2015, AMA completed a detailed analysis of these reports. We found a […]
Continue readingAMA Working with Senate on FAA Reauthorization Act 2016
We want to provide you with an update on recent congressional action on the new FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 (SB 2658). Last week, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the FAA, sent SB 2658 to the Senate floor for consideration. While the proposed […]
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