APPLYING FOR FRIAS
From the Copilot’s Seat
By Randy Cameron, AMA Executive Vice President | flyrc@modelaircraft.org
As I wrote this, we were coming into 2024. I want to thank all of those who voted for me to continue as the executive vice president of AMA for the next three years.
A lot happened in 2023. Our Government Relations team was very busy with the government changes dealing with Remote ID, altitude restrictions, and FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs). Just for clarification, a FRIA is a location that the FAA has approved for recreational aircraft to fly without Remote ID. For flying in areas other than a FRIA, Remote ID will be required.
Remote ID utilizes a module that you attach to your aircraft and provides identification and location information that can be received by other parties through a broadcast signal to a smartphone app. The module will broadcast your registration number and GPS location. The Remote ID module will need to be registered on the FAA DroneZone website at https://faadronezone-access.faa.gov/#/ website. Remote ID will be required after March 16, 2024.
Additionally, our Government Relations team worked with the FAA to get a letter of agreement signed that allows for a waiver to higher altitudes for AMA Sanctioned events. This can be up to 700 or 1,200 feet, depending on the airspace in which you are flying. To obtain the waiver, the contest director or event manager will need to call the FAA at (877) 487-6867 within seven days of the start of the event to process a Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM).
This is a simple phone call. The information that you will need to know is whether the NOTAM is being used for UAS operations; whether you’ve had a NOTAM in the last 30 days; your latitude/longitude in degrees, minutes, and seconds; how high you want to go (700 or 1,200 feet, determined by the floor of Class E airspace); and the dates and times for the event.
They will likely put you on hold to verify the location and, once they are back, you will need to provide your initials. The group required is the Academy of Model Aeronautics. You will then be provided with the NOTAM number. Send that NOTAM number to waivers@modelaircraft.org. AMA needs the NOTAM number to issue the event waiver. Without the NOTAM and waiver, your event will be capped to 400 feet above ground level.
I want to invite you to the AMA National Fun Fly and Swap Meet! The dates for the event are June 28-30, 2024, at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana. We are looking forward to having a great event this year—one you won’t want to miss. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.
Hope you have blue skies, light winds, and happy landings.
