DJI and AMA Partner to Improve Education, Outreach and Reputation of Drone Industry

Consumer drone giant DJI and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) have joined forces to launch a program that will promote safe and responsible drone operations. The aim of this new partnership is to encourage responsible flying, train public safety officers to use drones effectively and raise awareness of the good that aerial technology can do.

At a time when drones are often in the news for all the wrong reasons, DJI and the AMA‘s collaboration will attempt to develop a responsible and safety-conscious community of small unmanned aerial systems pilots. This will, according to a joint statement from the two aviation organizations, mean that “both will become more visible in each other’s outreach and communications channels”, while exploring “joint activities to inspire youth and adults to become involved in model aviation and recreational drone flying.”

The AMA is the largest organization for model aviation in the world. It’s thought to have almost 200,000 members and hosts thousands of events at countless clubs in the US. “As a Life Member of AMA, I know first-hand the value of its community engagement and educational programming,” said Brendan Schulman, Vice President of Policy & Legal Affairs for DJI. “I am excited for DJI to bring the latest in technology to AMA’s membership, and to work together to preserve the freedom to operate model aircraft for recreational and educational purposes.”

Together DJI and the AMA will embark on a number of projects, including the development of a special AMA membership and the advocation of more accessibility, affordability and safety with regards to personal drones. They are also keen to set up dedicated online support for pilots and develop youth programs to encourage the next generation of pilots to take up careers in aviation and technology.

DJI will help to market the AMA’s Public Safety course and use its significant presence in the drone industry to promote more of the AMA’s educational outreach efforts, including the UAS4STEM drone construction and flight competition for teens. Participants will receive a 10% discount on DJI products.

“Safe operations in the national airspace are of the upmost importance to the AMA,” said AMA Executive Director Dave Mathewson. “This cooperative effort will further those safety efforts as we build educational programs for those planning to use DJI products as they explore the many activities that drones make possible.”

“By working with the AMA, we are encouraging safe operations by our pilots who are looking to progress in the hobby and to reach new audiences through this partnership,” said Ryan Tong, DJI general manager. “Recreational and educational operations are a key source of innovation in technology, and model aviation in particular inspires many to pursue careers in sciences, robotics, aviation, and beyond.”