AMA Government Relations:

FCC Covered List Updates June 18, 2026
On June 15, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that certain “toy drones” will be removed from the agency’s “Covered List,” which restricts listed devices and components from FCC approval for import and sale. The exact criteria can be reviewed on the FCC’s announcement and establish a narrow set of […]
Lucas Rodden
Temporary Flight Restrictions – FIFA World Cup May 29, 2026
On Thursday, May 28, the FAA released a statement detailing upcoming Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) associated with the FIFA World Cup. These TFRs will be centered on major sporting stadiums in host cities and will generally extend one mile from the venue. Recreational flight operations within these areas will be prohibited unless operators have […]
Lucas Rodden
FAA Releases Proposed Rule Related to Critical Infrastructures May 6, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) related to Section 2209, which focuses on the designation of critical infrastructure and the potential restriction of unmanned aircraft operations around those sites. This rulemaking stems from legislation passed in 2016 that directed the FAA to develop […]
Ben Flesher
FAA Drone Safety Day 2026 April 21, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) annual safety awareness campaign, Drone Safety Day, will take place on April 25, 2026. This annual outreach initiative focuses on promoting safe and responsible operation of unmanned aircraft and increasing public awareness of airspace rules. The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has supported these safe […]
Lucas Rodden
FAA UAS Violation Policy Updates April 17, 2026
On April 16, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a new initiative intended to accelerate enforcement actions involving certain drone violations. The program, titled the Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response (DETER) program, was introduced in a brief press release on the FAA’s website, as well as a statement from William McKenna, the FAA’s Chief […]
Lucas Rodden
National Security NOTAM 6/3366 April 16, 2026
On April 16 2025, the FAA issued an updated national security advisory (NOTAM FDC 6/3366) that affects unmanned aircraft operations in proximity to certain sensitive federal facilities. Previous national security NOTAM, FDC 6/4375, focused on the same items of concern but used more restrictive language. This was briefly replaced on April 15, 2026, with FDC 6/2824, before the current FDC 6/3366 went into effect. Under the […]
Lucas Rodden
Customs and Border Protection: Commercial Importer Refund process April 16, 2026
On April 15, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released information regarding the process for duty refunds for commercial importers. These processes are starting to be implemented following a court order which overturned certain tariffs throughout 2025 that are paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This procedure […]
Lucas Rodden
AMA Advocacy: H.R. 6460 passes U.S. House of Representatives March 24, 2026
On Tuesday, March 24, H.R. 6460, a bill championed by AMA that will simplify altitude extensions and airspace permissions, has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will move forward in the legislative process. H.R. 6460 was previously introduced in December 2025 on AMA’s behalf by Reps. Tracy Mann (R-Kansas, […]
Lucas Rodden
Super Bowl LX Flight Restrictions February 2, 2026
In preparation for the upcoming Super Bowl LX on February 8, the FAA has issued a series of flight restrictions and guidelines for both unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as well as full-scale operations. These restrictions will increase in the days leading up to the event and can be viewed at […]
Lucas Rodden
FAA UAS Survey January 20, 2026
Over the past month, many recreational fliers have received an FAA survey requesting feedback on items such as communication preferences and flight habits pertaining to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). AMA can confirm that this is a legitimate email survey, which the FAA’s website covers here. The FAA has employed a […]
Lucas Rodden