AMA RECOGNIZED AS THE FIRST COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION
By Jay Smith, Executive Editor | jays@modelaircraft.org
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT in the January issue, AMA has been officially recognized as a community-based organization (CBO). Not only that, but we were the first to be recognized as such. This is important because the FAA requires that recreational model aircraft operators fly within the programming of a nationwide CBO.
The idea of a CBO goes back to 2012 with the FAA Modernization and Reform Act; however, the ability to apply for CBO status wasn’t available until October 25, 2022. On November 15, 2022, AMA was recognized.
As Tyler Dobbs, AMA’s senior director of government affairs, stated in his January column, “This validates and gives additional credibility to our safety program among stakeholders and regulators. Although AMA has been shaping regulations for decades, legislation gives CBOs a more formal seat at the table when the FAA considers recreational operating requirements.
“This designation opens the door to additional advocacy efforts, including applying for FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA) status and higher altitudes for our clubs’ flying sites. We applaud the FAA for implementing the process and acknowledging that AMA’s safety programming is the gold standard.”
News such as this should be shared more than once, so I am excited to pass it along in my column in case you missed it.
The idea of a CBO goes back to 2012 with the FAA Modernization and Reform Act; however, the ability to apply wasn’t available until October 25, 2022. On November 15, 2022, AMA was recognized.
