July 22, 2011

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Thank you again for contacting me regarding your support for an amendment to theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA)Reauthorization Bill,H.R. 658,regarding the operation of model airplanes. Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

On February 11, 2011 the House Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted in favor of H.R. 658, with my strong support. The FAA has been relying on short-term extensions for too long and H.R. 658 provides important modernizations to our nation's air infrastructure.

While the Senate version of Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill included an amendment addressing your concerns, there was not a similar amendment offered to the House version during the markup of the bill in March. With both bills having been considered by their respective chambers, the differences between the bills must now be resolved in a conference committee. The conference committee is meeting now and working on compromise legislation. Please know as the legislative process continues, I will keep your support for exempting model airplanes from FAA regulations setting specific heights, speed, and weight limits in mind.

Thank you again for contacting me regarding your support for an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Bill regarding the operation of model airplanes. If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to contact me at anytime.

Sincerely,

Stephen L. Fincher
Member of Congress