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 readingWhat Does Remote ID and Tracking Mean For Our Members?
As you may be aware, AMA participated in the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) advisory panel, which made recommendations to the agency on creating standards for remote identification and tracking unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The ARC identified technologies to allow law enforcement, homeland defense, national security and air traffic control […]
Continue readingFAA Restrictions Over DOE Facilities
On December 18, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Energy (DOE) announced new airspace restrictions at several DOE facilities. While we don’t anticipate that these restrictions will affect AMA members, we wanted to make you aware of this development, which prohibits all UAS flights up to 400 feet […]
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 […]
Continue readingWhite House UAS Pilot Program
Today, President Donald Trump and the Department of Transportation launched the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program. Over the next year, five to twelve communities will be selected by the FAA to test new drone programs in close coordination with the UAS industry as well as state and local governments. Next […]
Continue readingThird Quarter Government Relations Update 2017
Over the past few months, the AMA Government Relations team has been hard at work representing – and protecting – the model aircraft hobby in Washington, D.C. and across the country. We wanted to share with you some of our work and progress during the third quarter of 2017. Federal […]
Continue readingAMA President Promotes Drone Safety During Speaking Tour in Virginia
Recently, AMA partnered with the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV), the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) to host a series of safety seminars across Virginia. As a part of these events, AMA President Rich Hanson spoke about how to safely […]
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