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 readingSpecial Rule for Model Aircraft Looks Favorable in the House
The FAA Modernization and Reform Act with the Special Rule for Model Aircraft was passed into law in 2012, but this year the act is up for renewal. Since last year we have been active on the Hill making our case to protect and preserve the Special Rule for Model […]
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 readingSeveral Detrimental Provisions Remain in the Senate Bill
Last week we asked you to contact your Senators requesting support of an amendment to resolve provisions in the Senate’s FAA reauthorization bill that could be detrimental to our hobby. Thanks to your efforts over 30,100 letters were sent to Congress. We thank you for your support of the hobby […]
Continue readingURGENT – Write the Senate Now!
The U.S. Senate is currently considering amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016. We need your help today to ensure this proposed legislation fully protects the model aircraft community. Click here now to urge your Senators to support Senator Inhofe’s amendment number 3596 to the FAA […]
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 […]
Continue readingComparing bird strikes in the airspace
The US national airspace is home to almost 10 billion birds, a very large number compared to the number of model aircraft which is estimated at a million or less. The Mercatus Center at George Mason University analyzed the data of bird collisions with full scale aircraft. The article then […]
Continue readingMaking enhancements to the Special Rule for Model Aircraft into law
The AMA began its work to pass the Special Rule for Model Aircraft years before it was passed into law in 2012. Countless negotiations, revisions, and eventually mobilizing our membership to write Congress resulted in this special rule becoming law. The Special Rule for Model Aircraft was intended to prevent […]
Continue reading