President's Perspective - 2012/04
All I can say is wow!
H.R. 658, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. This represents the most positive government effort ever generated by the Academy on behalf of modelers in the United States.
Many of our members have spent considerable effort on this issue; special thanks go to our AMA Government and Regulatory Affairs Advocate Rich Hanson, our government liaison Mitch Rose, and our Executive Director Dave Mathewson.
The bipartisan bill was assisted by the following members of Congress and their staffs:
- Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
- Representative John Mica (R-FL)
- Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
- Representative Tom Petri (R-WI)
- Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Our efforts would not have been recognized without the thousands of AMA members who communicated with government officials. The letter-writing campaign and other communications were invaluable.
Although I would like to say the issue has been resolved, that is not the case. The airspace governed by the FAA includes that which is used for aeromodeling. Our Congressional effort certainly creates a positive environment in which to open dialogue with the FAA, but many variables will have to be considered.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will be published in the near future. The rumor mill is running rampant with negative comments directed toward aeromodeling. The Academy has specific plans to respond to the NPRM. As a modeler, please remain vigilant on this issue. Campaigns with Congress and the FAA will probably be needed — you must be ready to join the effort!
NOTAMs and TFRs
Another point of government intervention lies with NOTAMs/TFRs (Notice to Airmen / Temporary Flight Restrictions). The upcoming political campaign will probably increase these NOTAMs. At this time, the Academy has been unsuccessful in its attempt to resolve the issue, but Rich Hanson continues to meet with officials in hopes of working out a resolution that would have less impact on model flying.
E-Fest 2012
I have just returned from one of the nation's most enjoyable indoor meets, E-Fest. Thanks go to Hobbico for its staff's friendship and hospitality. We appreciated everyone who stopped at the AMA booth and offered positive comments.
Each year it seems as though more unbelievable new items come to fruition. This year's standout appears to be the electric ducted-fan micro model. All I can say is wow!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
