February 2012, Congress passed the first FAA Reauthorization bill in more than four years. The Bill included a special provision for model aircraft protecting it from FAA regulations.<\/p>\n
Signed February 14, 2012\u00a0by President Obama, the special provision in the Bill recognizes community-based safety programming as an effective means of managing the modeling activity. The model aircraft section establishes minimum criteria for safe aeromodeling operations and specifically directs the FAA to not enact rules for modeling activity conducted within the safety programming of a nationwide community-based organization.<\/p>\n
The culmination of AMA’s efforts over the past four years in achieving this recognition and obtaining the legislative safeguard is a great accomplishment for the aeromodeling community. This recognition will help with our continuing efforts with the FAA to improve safety in the national airspace.<\/p>\n
Recognition is also due to the tens of thousands of AMA members who went the extra mile by writing their congressional leaders, making phone calls, and supporting the AMA with donations used for this campaign. Continue to monitor www.modelaircraft.org\/gov<\/span> for further details.<\/p>\n