District News | AMA District IV

AMA’s Response to the U.S. DOT announcement

by Greg Carter | Oct 22, 2015 | AMA National News, District News, UAV

Source: The Washington Post Federal regulators to require registration of recreational drones Source: AMA Dear Members, As you might be aware, in a press conference on Monday October 19, 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced its intent to require registration for certain small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). Led by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, a concept was laid out calling for the creation of a task force to develop a plan to implement the registration process. AMA was represented at the press conference by Government and Regulatory Affairs Representative Rich Hanson who offered comments on behalf of our organization. Representatives from the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) and the Air Line Pilots Association also provided input. A video of the press conference can be found here. AMA has also been invited to participate in the task force which has been charged with completing its work by mid-November 2015. The DOT is looking at the full spectrum of sUAS that would be subject to registration, and AMA agrees that registration may be appropriate at some level; however, before the process can be established, AMA believes that a threshold must be identified that will determine which platforms, what aircraft with what capabilities, will require registration and which will not. AMA believes that traditional model aircraft, as well as the “toy-type” drones with minimal capability would fall below the threshold and not be subject to the registration process. In a prepared statement released yesterday, AMA was clear in its position that any required registration process “should not become a prohibitive burden for recreational users...

Discover Flight Website Announced

by Jack Upchurch | Oct 16, 2015 | AMA National News, For Beginners

Next year, AMA will celebrate its 80th birthday. This is a great accomplishment, and one that AMA staff, its leaders, and strongest supporters are very proud of. Our members have been instrumental in ensuring that our organization and the model aviation hobby continue to grow and advance. For some, model flying has been a lifelong passion. For others, its introduction led to a career or to pursuing full-scale flight. For many, the hobby is brand-new and something they are eager to start learning more about. Each story is unique and special, and AMA wants to share the different facets of these stories with the public. Your AMA leadership team thinks it’s important to share the message that AMA continues to grow because of these stories, and to remind everyone that our passion is fueled by ideas and imagination that have impacted so many. Please visit www.discoverflight.org to view AMA’s new video and informational website, developed with the general public in...