Best Buy distributing AMA safety guidelines, offering memberships to customers purchasing drones this holiday season

MUNCIE, Ind.--The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and Best Buy are teaming up to educate consumers purchasing drones this holiday season. As part of a recently formed relationship with AMA, Best Buy locations will display brochures with AMA safety guidelines on store shelves and also feature regulation and safety information on the store receipts of drone purchases. In addition, Best Buy is offering one-year AMA memberships for purchase.

"Safety has always been our number one priority. By teaming up with Best Buy, we hope to help even more new drone operators learn how to fly responsibly," said Dave Mathewson, executive director of AMA, the largest community-based organization for recreational model aviation enthusiasts. "We have long said that education is the best way to promote safety and thats why were excited to enter into this relationship with one of the nations leading retailers.

The safety brochures are currently available in more than 1,000 Best Buy stores across the U.S. The "Fly Responsibly" message is appearing on all receipts for drone purchases in stores, and online on pages where drones are sold. In addition, Best Buy employees who sell drones are required to complete an online training course, in part focusing on safe and responsible use of the technology. The safety brochure distributed by Best Buy is available here.

Best Buy has also begun selling AMA memberships in stores and online. AMA membership gives consumers access to up-to-date information on potential drone-related regulations, as well as access to local clubs where consumers can take their drones to fly and receive instruction from experienced operators.

Since late 2014, Best Buy has been selling drones including models from DJI, Yuneec, Parrot and 3DR technology.

In November, Best Buys drone buying guide was one of the top-viewed buying guides available on BestBuy.com.

The relationship with Best Buy is the latest part of AMAs ongoing education efforts, which includes the Know Before You Fly campaign. AMA created this campaign along with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The campaign was launched in December 2014 in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide drone users with the information and guidance they need to fly safely and responsibly.

About AMA
The Academy of Model Aeronautics, founded in 1936, continues to be devoted to national airspace safety. It serves as the nations collective voice for more than 185,000 modelers in 2,400 clubs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Headquartered in Muncie, Indiana, AMA is a membership organization representing those who fly model aircraft for recreation and educational purposes.