On the Fly

Revised Experimenta Aircraft Regulations The AMA Executive Council has approved the Safety Committee's recommendation to remove the "Sanction Event"-only restriction, thus allowing aircraft exceeding 55 pounds to be flown at any flying site that is of adequate size to accommodate these heavier and generally larger models. Pilots are still required to have an AMA inspector certify that each model that weighs more than 55 pounds is airworthy and issued the necessary "Permit to Fly" annually. The revised document is posted in the "AMA Documents (PDF)" section as Document 549 on the AMA Web site (www.modelaircraft.org). MA -AMA HQ Commemorative Bricks Still Available What better way to honor a club member or celebrate your club than to sponsor a symbol of support for your national organization? This gift to the Academy is not only tax-deductible, but is a permanent sign of your dedication to aeromodeling. The bricks are already placed in the Walk of Fame, outside the Headquarters building, awaiting engraving. For a $100 donation to AMA, a 4 x 8-inch Custom brick in the Walk of Fame will be engraved in black with the AMA wings and two lines reserved for your name, that of a friend, or your club's name. A $500 donation will secure a 4 x 8-inch Gold Wings brick, with the AMA wings and wording handsomely engraved in gold. An 8 x 8-inch black granite brick is available for a $1,000 donation. Decide which you would like, and we'll start yours today! Call (765) 287-1256, extension 508, or download an order form from the AMA Web site atwww.modelaircraft.org. MA -AMA HQ FAA NOTAMs As a result of the close working relationship between AMA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a new feature has been added to the AMA Web site. A link to the "Notices to Airmen, Domestic/International" section of FAA's Web site has been added to the left side of the opening page of AMA's site. Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs as they are commonly called, are "... notices containing information (not known sufficiently in advance to be publicized by other means) concerning the establishment, condition, or change in any component (facility, service, or procedure of, or hazard in the National Airspace System), the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations." Following the events of September 11, 2001. there has been an understandable increase in national security efforts. Often, when certain steps have been taken to increase security, such as the immediate establishment of "Temporary Flight Restrictions" or the "Special Federal Aviation Regulations" put in place to enhance security during the Winter Olympics, many questions arise concerning how or if these regulations affect model-aircraft operations. NOTAMs are the means by which the FAA distributes such important information, and providing our members with easy access to this information will allow for even better distribution and, hopefully, better understanding of the purpose and meaning of the action or actions. By accessing this link, everyone will be able to check for the most recent information coming from the FAA on a daily basis, thus enhancing his or her knowledge of the circumstances and being better prepared to operate in the existing environment with much better understanding. M4