The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) have joined forces to take a leadership position on recreational drone regulations.

Recently, the AMA spoke out against the concept of subjecting recreational and commercial drones to the same regulations.  This week, the advocacy group met with representatives of the FAA and a number of other organizations representing the interests of recreational pilots to discuss federal regulations.  This is the first such meeting focused on recreational drones.

The issue is an important – and sensitive – one in the drone industry.  Many commercial industry groups have advocated strongly for all drones to be regulated under the same set of requirements: and the repeal of Section 336 – the part of the federal code which protected recreational flyers from new regulations – was included in the most recent FAA Reathorization package.  Community-based organizations argue that their flyers are already operating under a framework of safety and educational requirements.

The following is an AMA press release.

MUNCIE, Ind. – The following statement is attributed to Tyler Dobbs, Government Affairs Director of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), and Doug Johnson, Vice President, Technology Policy, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), regarding the first stakeholder meeting on federal regulations for recreational unmanned aerial systems (UAS):

“Regulations for recreational drone operators should be easy for the public to understand and rigorous enough to ensure safety. We are proud to have led the first meeting of stakeholders to help the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) craft this exact approach. At the meeting we also discussed safety and knowledge tests for recreational model aircraft and drone operators, and the process for recognizing community-based organizations. We look forward to working with the recreational drone community and the FAA to strike the appropriate balance between innovation and safety.”

The meeting took place on Tuesday, April 23 in Arlington, VA. In addition to AMA and CTA, the following groups were in attendance: The Toy Association, the University of California, Fresh Air Educators, Flight Test, MultiGP, UASidekick, the Drone User Group (DUG), the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Horizon Hobby, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the Alliance for Drone Innovation (ADI) and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP).

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About AMA:
The Academy of Model Aeronautics, founded in 1936, serves as the nation’s collective voice for approximately 200,000 modelers in 2,400 clubs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Headquartered in Muncie, Indiana, AMA is a membership organization representing those who fly model aircraft for recreational and educational purposes. For more information, visit www.modelaircraft.org.

About Consumer Technology Association:
Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^TM is the trade association representing the $398 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies – 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world’s best-known brands – enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES^® – the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA’s industry services.