UPDATES ON FLYING SITE PROGRAMS
By Lucas Rodden, Government Affairs manager | lucasr@modelaircraft.org
SPRING HAS SPRUNG, and by the time you read this, summer will have ... summed? My point is that it is getting warmer, so let’s take time to cover the programs that help maintain or improve your flying site’s operations. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Lucas, reminders on paperwork and bureaucratic forms? You really shouldn’t have.” I am happy to do so. It is no trouble.
Remote ID: Cancellations and Updates
We’ve covered FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs) and similar exemptions extensively in past issues and blog posts, so I won’t bore you with reiteration. If you are new to them, I highly recommend looking at the AMA Government Affairs blog (https://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov) and past issues of Model Aviation, where you can find guides and explanations. However, I do need to cover a few record-keeping items.
As a community-based organization (CBO), AMA acts as the liaison between model pilots and the FAA to get FRIAs, Remote ID Exemptions (RIDEs), and similar exemptions approved. This also means that we’re obligated to request cancellation if a club ceases operations on a site. If your club loses a lease, drops a site, or chooses to move to a new location, please have an officer reach out to FRIA@modelaircraft.org to request a cancellation. This will help maintain clean records and goodwill as a CBO, which can translate to more flexibility for future operations.
Similarly, if you need changes to your exemption boundaries or to update your club’s point of contact, you can reach out to the same email address at any time.
Altitude Extension Updates
In more exciting news, AMA was able to announce in May that many of our flying sites in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace can now fly higher than the standard 400-foot above ground level restriction. Members can visit our FAQs page at https://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2025/04/23/faq-for-national-cla... for more information and an easily searchable list of currently approved locations.
This national authorization was extended to registered AMA sites that were submitted for review. The initial round of sites submitted last fall might not contain locations that had errors in recordkeeping or new sites that registered after November 2024. If your site is not on the approved list, please have your club officers reach out to AMAgov@modelaircraft.org to discuss adding a new location. Because this process is new, we cannot yet provide an expected timeline of review and approval.
Flying Site Assistance
Finally, I’d like to cover Flying Site Assistance. If you’re unfamiliar with it, the program has taken many forms throughout the years, but the main goal is to provide support to clubs and members who have recently lost, or are about to lose, access to their flying sites. Common situations are land sales because of commercial development or community public relations issues caused by uninformed UAS operators; however, we’re also here to help you build goodwill and relationships in your community that help protect you from losing access in the future.
The Club Toolkit, found at www.modelaircraft.org/ama-club-toolkit, has helpful resources and information about grants and templates to help get you started. Of course, every flying site’s situation is different, so I invite you to email me at FSAC@modelaircraft.org with your circumstances to see how AMA can best support you. We might be able to advise you on local government conversations and partnerships, connect you with other similar clubs for advice, or simply help brainstorm.
To remain current with the most recent government-related news, regularly visit the AMA Government Affairs blog. If you have any further questions or concerns, contact the Government Affairs department at (765) 287-1256 or emailamagov@modelaircraft.org.
