AMA In Action-2013/03

Jim Williams,
FAA executive
manager, answers
questions at
AMA Expo
On Saturday, January 12, at AMA
Expo 2013, Academy members
and Expo attendees received
an update on the status of the small
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)
rule, and progress
toward enacting
the Special Rule
for Model Aircraft
established as
part the FAA
Modernization
and Reform
Act passed by
Congress in
February 2012.
This year’s
AMA/FAA
forum was again
attended by James
Sizemore, UAS
Integration Offi ce
Airworthiness
and System
Engineering
Lead, and
by Jim Williams (see sidebar) via
teleconference.
During the AMA/
FAA forum, Jim
briefed the attendees
on the provisions of
the Special Rule for
Model Aircraft (PL
112-95, Sec 336)
and communicated
the UAS Integration
Offi ce’s approach to
enacting the model
aviation provision.
AMA President Bob
Brown queried him
on a number of issues relating to
model aircraft and UAS integration.
Members of the audience were given the
opportunity to submit questions directly
to Jim.
Although little new information was
provided, it was gratifying to note that
the FAA and the AMA seem to be in
accord regarding their understanding of
the model aviation provision and are in
agreement as to the process for moving
forward toward enacting the Special
Rule for Model Aircraft.
We at AMA would like to express
our sincere appreciation to Jim
Williams and James Sizemore for
their time and efforts in providing an
opportunity for the members of the
aeromodeling community to gain a
better understanding of the complexities
of this extremely important subject.
Detailed information regarding the
forum discussion and the question-andanswer
session can be found on the
AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org.
The outcome of the forum discussion is
encouraging and viewed as a positive step.
Although it will take time to fully develop
the path forward, and even longer for fi nal
review and executive approval, we hope
to complete this process before the fi nal
sUAS rule is published.
More importantly, we anticipate this
effort will create a long-term platform
for maintaining safe aeromodeling
operations within the national airspace
and assuring the vitality and future of
model aviation.
The enactment of the Special Rule
for Model Aircraft does not mean
certain aspects of the sUAS rule won’t
have an impact on the aeromodeling
community. Publication of the sUAS
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) and call for public comment is
now projected for the
summer of 2013.
Please ensure
that everyone you
know is aware of the
impending regulation.
It’s important that
those who share our
love for this hobby
are well informed
and participate in
the response to the
proposed sUAS rule
when the NPRM is
published. Timely updates regarding the
sUAS rulemaking can also be found on
Facebook by “liking” AMAGov and on
Twitter at Twitter.com/AMAGov.
—Rich Hanson
Government and Regulatory Affairs
“The outcome
of the forum
discussion is
encouraging
and viewed as a
positive step.”
Rich Hanson
provides answers
to your questions
on the governmentrelations
section of
our website: www.
modelaircraft.
org/gov. Visit this
regularly for updates.
Rich’s blog contains frequent updates
on timely topics and news items. Check
out the AMA government relations blog
at http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/
amagov. This complex issue affects the
entire aeromodeling community.
Advocating on your behalf
Jim Williams is the
executive manager of
the newly established
FAA Unmanned Aircra
Systems Integration
O ce, previously
named the Unmanned
Aircra Program O ce (UAPO). Before
taking the helm of the UAS Integration
O ce in March 2012, he was the
director of engineering services in
the FAA Next Generation (NextGen)
Organization.
Throughout his lengthy career
with the FAA, Jim has had many
responsibilities. He led the
organization tasked with lifecycle
management of all FAA communications
systems; led the implementation of
the Safety Management System in the
Technical Operations Service Unit;
worked with the FAA Command Center
to transition personnel into the Air
Tra c Organization; led the team that
developed, procured, and installed all
air/ground communications services
for the FAA; and led the team that
designed, procured, and  elded the
FAA’s prototype Air/Ground DataLink
Communications System.
A native of Tennessee, Jim is a
graduate of the Georgia Institute of
Technology with a bachelor’s degree
in aerospace engineering. He currently
lives in Reston, Virginia, with his wife
and son.