AMA Is Advocating That The Test Be Available Both Online And In A Written Format At Fixed Locations

On October 5, 2018, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 was signed into law. It included a requirement for all recreational UAS users to pass a safety and knowledge test in order to operate a recreational model aircraft within the National Airspace System (NAS). AMA has worked closely with the FAA to ensure that this upcoming test will meet the intent of Congress without placing an undue burden on our hobby. In the spring of 2019, AMA met with important stakeholders and the FAA, chairing a roundtable discussion to lay out the guidelines and administration of the safety and knowledge test. In September 2019, AMA sent a request for information to offi

From 2016: Looks Like A Jet, Flies Like A GA Airplane…

While at Sun ‘n Fun 2016, ANN News Editor, Tom Patton, saw a light-airplane that looked like a stylized F-15. The airplane is called the PJ-II “Dreamer”. To get the details, Tom talked with Len Bechtold, who designed the engine for the aircraft, as well as the technical director of design, Ben Kolotilin. The Design of this fascinating airplane originated in Russia and has now been brought to the United States with the hopes of placing it into production. Kolotilin explains that the intent was to produce a stylized fighter-li

Witnesses Reported Hearing The Airplane’s Engine Popping And Sputtering

On October 21, 2020, about 1148 Pacific daylight time, a Glasair III airplane, N1YX, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Hayward, California. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that he was going to return the airplane to Oregon. The airplane had been stored at Hayward Airport (HWD) for many months, but the pilot would occasionally start it and run it so that it didn’t sit for long periods of time. He taxied the airplane to runway 28L and conducted multiple run ups at varying RPM’s. He then taxied the airplane to