Despite 181,000 UAV registrations already, AMA fights new legislation

With the introduction of legislation requiring that all recreational UAVs, or drones, weighing between .55lbs and 55lbs, are to be registered, along with the pilots themselves, it was announced by FAA administrator, Michael Huerta, that 181,000 had been registered so far. Speaking at a consumer electronics conference in Las Vegas on the 6th of January he confirmed: ““We’re encouraged by the registration numbers we’re seeing so far,” adding that this number of successful registrations “is just the beginning. Now that we have set up the registration system, our challenge is to make sure everyone is aware of the requirement and registers.”
The successful start has been despite a public campaign by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) encouraging their own members to “hold off” registering. Those who purchased their AUVs prior to December 21st last year have until February 19th to register. However, according AMA’s blog post on government regulations, it is telling members who owned UAVs prior to December 21st not to register “until advised by the AMA or until the FAA’s legal deadline of Feb. 19.”
AMA has described the FAA’s UAV registration requirement as an “unnecessary regulatory burden on our members,” adding that the requirement “is contrary to the intent of Congress,” and that it is “fully considering all possible legal and political options.” The AMA has confirmed it is also working with the FAA “on an automated process allowing members to register through membership in the AMA [that] will allow modelers to use their AMA number as their registration number.”
Currently the FAA’s registration website is the only way for UAV owners to register. However, Huerta has revealed that the FAA is exploring “new methods of making the registration process even easier for consumers. For example, we are working to support potential third-party applications, such as smart phone apps, that could enable manufacturers or retailers to scan a code on a drone and automatically register it.”