Terrorist Plot Shocks the Modeling Community
On Wednesday, September 28, Rezwan Ferdaus of Ashland, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with attempting to destroy national defense premises and buildings owned by the United States. According to the FBI affidavit filed with the United States Magistrate, Ferdaus, who is not an AMA member, planned to use GPS-guided 1/10-scale models of the F-4 Phantom and F-86 Sabre to spearhead an attack on the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon, and to deploy a squad of six assailants armed with AK-47s and hand grenades to kill government workers as they fled the buildings.
The news of Ferdaus' arrest and alleged planned terrorist plot set off a firestorm of media accounts and speculation regarding the use of model aircraft as a terrorist weapon. AMA was quick to react by condemning Ferdaus' alleged actions and pointing out that this was not an act stemming from the modeling community and was by no means a reflection on the legitimate use of model aircraft. Ferdaus' plans were no more a reflection on the aeromodeling community than the Oklahoma City bombing reflected on the rental truck industry.
The FBI said that Ferdaus had previously provided undercover agents with seven cellphones he'd converted for use as remote detonators for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). He demonstrated a cellphone's ability to act as a detonator by remotely illuminating an LED built into the device. Ferdaus hoped the devices would be used to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, according to the FBI.
Ferdaus' aberrant use of this technology is not a reflection on the cellular industry any more than his intent to convert model aircraft into military drones correlates to model aviation.
Modelers' reaction to the news was mixed. Most expressed outrage at the prospect of a terrorist plot to use model aircraft as a weapon, and most rightfully questioned the plausibility of Ferdaus' plan. It's unlikely he would have ever gotten these aircraft off the ground, and if he did, it's questionable whether he could have inflicted significant damage. Most members applauded AMA's proactive approach in speaking out on this issue, while others felt that perhaps the best course of action would be to remain silent and not lend credibility to the terrorist plot.
I believe it is imperative that the Academy be proactive and speak out in such situations. In the eyes of the general public, model aviation is generally obscure and often misunderstood. It's not uncommon for the mainstream media to put its own spin on modeling activity and misrepresent the aeromodeling community. AMA must make every effort to educate people on the benefits and legitimacy of model aviation and to set the record straight when the hobby is misrepresented or maligned.
Urgent Update
The sUAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) has been delayed and is now due to be released in mid-February. Please keep an eye on the AMA website for the most current information regarding the NPRM. It is imperative that AMA membership become well-informed and vigilant in keeping abreast of the sUAS issue.
Timely updates can be found on:
- AMA website: www.modelaircraft.org
- Facebook: "Like" AMAGov
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/amagov
— Rich Hanson Government and Regulatory Affairs
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
