Work toward
developing
the
methodology
and
documentation
for enacting
PL 112-95
commences.
AMA meets
with the UAS
Integration
Office
leadership
regarding
enactment
of the
Special Rule
for Model
Aircraft.
2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
junapr
Preliminary
meeting
with the FAA
UAS staff
regarding
the
provisions
of the
Special Rule
for Model
Aircraft - PL
112-95.
Special Rule
for Model
Aircraft
briefed at the
AMA general
membership
meeting
at Joe Nall
Week.
FAA pushes
back NPRM
release
date to
December
2012.
AMA
leadership
meets with
congressional
staff
regarding
implementation
of PL
112-95.
FAA
representatives
attend AMA
Expo 2013
and brief the
membership
on the
progress
toward
enacting PL
112-95.
AMA
members
briefed on
the progress
toward
enacting
PL 112-95
at Joe Nall
Week.
AMA meets
with the UAS
Integration
Office
leadership to
discuss and
refine
the
enactment
documents.
FAA pushes
back NPRM
release
date to
December
2013.
FAA pushes
back NPRM
release date
yet again,
to summer
2013.
may sep nov jan
2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 20
jun may
On January 11, 2014, the Academy of Model Aeronautics and the Federal Aviation Administration entered into an agreement establishing the platform upon which the
two organizations will jointly work to ensure the continued
safe operation of model aircraft in the National Airspace
System.
James Williams, executive manager of the FAA Unmanned
Aircraft Systems Integration Office, and AMA President Bob
Brown signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on
the main stage at the annual AMA Expo in Ontario, California.
The signing of this landmark agreement is a momentous step
forward and serves as a benchmark in the Academy’s efforts
to safeguard model aviation. This document’s execution puts
the FAA one step closer to fully enacting the Special Rule for
Model Aircraft established as part of the FAA Modernization
and Reform Act of 2012.
Still to be realized is FAA’s formal
recognition of the AMA as a community-based
organization as described by
Congress and the agency’s
acknowledgment of AMA’s Safety Program as a means
of substantiating the safety guidelines and overseeing the
operation of recreational unmanned aircraft.
The AMA has served as the national organization for
model aviation for more than 77 years. During that time, the
aeromodeling community has achieved an excellent safety
record through adherence to AMA’s National Model Aircraft
Safety Code. Under the agreement, the Academy will maintain
its comprehensive safety program, including guidelines for
emerging technologies such as recreational sUAS.
The AMA will serve as a focal point for the aeromodeling
community, the hobby industry, and the FAA to communicate
relevant and timely safety information, and will foster
a “positive and cooperative environment” within the
aeromodeling community toward the FAA and any applicable
regulations.
In a news release following the event, the FAA stated that
it “believes AMA’s detailed safety procedures promote safe
model operations and serve as an excellent resource for AMA
members and other nonmember model aircraft enthusiasts
alike.”
The FAA’s UAS Integration Office will serve as the point
of contact for addressing issues of mutual concern, and for its
part, the FAA will review and advise the AMA on its safety
program. The agency will also educate FAA field employees
regarding AMA’s model aircraft operating standards and the
latest aeromodeling technologies, and will foster a reciprocal
cooperative attitude toward
model aviation.
The Special Rule for Model
Aircraft mandates that the
FAA not regulate model
AMA recognized as
the focal point for
aeromodeling
Photo by Architect of the Capitol
A C Mo
inAction AMA Advocating for Members
