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 […]
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FAA: 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 readingAre Drones Valuable for Domestic Use?
Are Drones Valuable for Domestic Use? A Follow-Up Piece to “Domestic Use of Drones? Bad Idea” Michael Toscano, president of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle; systems International recently submitted an platform opinion piece to USA Today, published June 5 to comment on an article submitted earlier in the week regarding […]
Continue readingAMA President, Bob Brown, Responds to LA Times Op Ed Piece
In the March 27, 2012’s edition of the Los Angeles Times, John Villasenor, UCLA professor, contributed an Op-Ed piece with the suggestion that drone proliferation raises an issue that has received too little attention: the threat that they could be used to carry out terrorist attacks. AMA President, Bob […]
Continue readingPrivacy Rights Groups Fight FAA
Read Full Article Debate heats up over privacy rights as Congress compels the FAA to provide UAS access to the national airspace. A number of privacy groups have petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the proposed increase in the use of aerial drones in the United States. More than […]
Continue readingNoise Ordinance Repealed For One Community
Score One for Model Aviation – The Mat-Su Borough Assembly in Wasilla, AK recently voted unanimously to repeal a section of its code that restricted the sound limit for model aircraft. The limit set in 2008 was unrealisticly low and effectively eliminated MA from all residential and noise-sensitive areas. Click the following link and read the article in the “Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.”
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Article
Continue readingAMA Speaks Out in Response to the Plan to Use MA as a Terrorist Weapon
ABC affiliate KSAT in San Antonio Texas discusses the recent threat with Mark Smith, Interim President of the Academy of Model Aeronomics.
Continue readingTwo Calls To Action From The Industry
Our partners in aviation (AOPA/EAA) need your support… Please sign the White House petition to dump the GA user-fee plan. We’re looking for 10,000 sigs by the end of the week!
Continue readingMan Accused of Plotting Attack with Model Aircraft
A Massachusetts man was arrested yesterday and was charged with plotting to convert model aircraft into explosive laden military drones to launch an attack on Washington, DC. He also converted and supplied undercover agents with at least 7 cell phones to be used as remotely operated detonators for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). This scheme did not emanate from within the modeling community. This was not an aeromodeling enthusiasts. This was a terrorist bent on improvising a weapon of war from legitimate technology for his own horrific purposes.
Continue readingHappy 75th anniversary Academy of Model Aeronautics
East Central Indiana gears up for AMA’s 75th Anniversary Event. For the past 20 years the AMA has called Muncie, Indiana home and area media outlets are paying tribute.
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