I know that it is a nit picking point, but the SFRA is more than 400% larger than the FRZ.. maybe part of the problem is that the AMA cannot even do simple math.
The DC SFRA is 30 nautical miles, which is equal to 34.55 statute miles. FAA used nm measurements of distance. That is 3,750 square miles or 2.4million acres. Some model aviators on the east side of the SFRA will be driving 70 miles just to get out of the SFRA. Any way you slice this, it is a huge area of land taken away by the FAA with a pen stroke. There was no notice, no public hearings, no comment period.
AC 91-57A states no flying in any SFRA, so why aren't Los Angeles and New York part of this shut down. There are other SFRAs and any city could soon have their own, so this issue affects all urban fliers.
AMA Finding A Solution for Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) in the D.C. Area
Recently, the FAA more than doubled the airspace around Washington, D.C., that it considers a ‘no drone zone.’ In 2009, the FAA expressly prohibited model aircraft operations in the D.C. Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), shutting down three AMA-chartered clubs and eliminating all model aircraft activity in the nation’s capital. The FAA has now extended this restriction to the Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) outside the FRZ where model aircraft have been flying without incident for years. Not only is D.C. restricted, but the FAA now contends that model aviation enthusiasts cannot fly in several Virginia and Maryland counties as well.