Focus on Competition
Technically Speaking ...
Greg Hahn Technical Director [email protected]
DEALING WITH FAA NOTAMs: If you don't know already, we have a new temporary restriction to deal with pertaining to our model flying fields. Since January, our beloved hobby for the first time is being affected by VIP (Very Important Person) movements in and around the contiguous United States. Most of these have to do with the Presidential entourage as it moves from city to city for visits and functions.
These temporary restrictions are announced in the form of FAA NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen). As a full-scale pilot, you are made aware of these right from the get-go because they restrict your freedom as a pilot and must be adhered to religiously — consequences can follow. Often, violating restricted airspace can lead to being escorted to the nearest airport by a pair of F-16s, followed by many questions or worse.
I'm not saying those consequences are destined for us, but you should know that the FAA and Homeland Security take NOTAMs seriously, and we should as well. Realize, too, that we aren't being singled out — nearly every aviation-related activity, including ballooning, skydiving, and so on, is also prohibited within the restriction.
Here at HQ we have developed a procedure to get pertinent information out to affected members and clubs as quickly as possible, and sometimes that can be a challenge. Normally the NOTAMs are sent to Rich Hanson and me directly from the FAA Information Office two days before the restriction start time, so getting the info out has to be done immediately.
We take the latitude and longitude from the NOTAM and plug them into a formula we developed to query our AMA database for the clubs and members affected in that specific area. We prepare the appropriate statements and links to the FAA, post this information on the AMA website, and send push e-mails to the district vice president, district associate vice presidents, club presidents, and down the line to members. We're trying to create enough overlap so that few, if any, lack access to the information they need.
So far, the membership response to our efforts has been very positive, and we hope you understand that as users of the airspace, we are now recognized as a relevant player — which is a good thing. This also aligns with our being recognized as an integral part of the FAA rulemaking process, which has received much press lately within our ranks.
It's all part of staying ahead of the game and abreast of issues, presenting ourselves (modelers) as responsible users of the airspace, and making safety our first priority.
If you have questions or would like to know more, feel free to e-mail me.
See you at briefing. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
