Drones In The News 

Bailamos Enrique Iglesias, but please don’t touch the drone

  Bailamos Enrique Iglesias –  Dance, Sing, entertain your audience, and treat your drone with caution Apparently we need warning labels on these drones.  Enrique Iglesias is a talented singer, well known for songs like Bailamos (although we prefer Dímelo).  However, he is not  a good judge of how to interact with a drone. It is being reported that he regularly uses drones for aerial footage during his concerts and that he often grabs them out of the air, turning the camera upon himself before letting them go.  This is a terrible practice which led to an unfortunate accident. We hope that…

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Former fighter pilots bringing rigor to pipeline inspections

Midstream Integrity Services is managed by former fighter pilots and they bring military rigor to pipeline inspections Drone-based pipeline inspections being flown with the same level of detail as a combat mission in enemy territory?  We needed to hear more. Midstream Integrity Services is managed by former fighter pilots.  They consider themselves aviators first and they treat every mission with the same level of preparation as a combat sortie. Q. I know your founders are former fighter pilots, how does this influence the way in which you approach your missions (pipeline inspections,…

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UAV Standards – An Interview with the author of Read Before Flight

Author Nicholas Damron believes that “Read Before Flight” is a way for the UAV community to establish UAV standards Read Before Flight is an excellent book that we recommend people read.  UAV standards are important and this book provides a great starting point.  You can buy it here by clicking on the book image and purchasing through our Amazon Affiliate link. Q. Nicholas, could you tell our readers a bit about who you are, your background in the UAV space? I am an avid Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) / Drone Advocate. I…

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Our Contributors 

Hobbyist Drone Guidelines and FAA Regulations

Clearer Drone Guidelines are needed more than ever. niekverlaan / Pixabay Clearer hobbyist drone guidelines are needed [Tweet “We need better #Drone Guidelines #uav #uas”] Many drone hobbyists in the United States are well aware of the FAA Regulations but we need better Hobbyist Drone Guidelines.  These guidelines provide the following safety recommendations: “Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged to follow safety guidelines, which include: Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times Remain well…

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Ex-FAA chief says drones are good, but safety first!

The ex-FAA chief realizes the value of drone/uav/uas technology.  We hope that the FAA supports the growth of this important marketplace to be used for the betterment of society in a safe and secure manner. Originally published on Yahoo Finance. More flying objects could soon be filling the skies, even making deliveries. So will more drones put your safety at risk? This week, the Federal Aviation Administration granted Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) permission to begin tests of drones outdoors. The retailer wants to use the small aircraft to deliver items from…

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Our Interviews 

Interview with Jay Forte of Sky-Futures

15299 / Pixabay Q. Could you tell us a bit about Sky-Futures? Sky-Futures provides visual inspection and technical report writing using UAV technology and Oil and Gas industry experts. We have been operating globally for nearly four years with offices in London, Aberdeen, Malaysia and Norway. The Houston office opens tomorrow as we now have our permission to operate commercially in the US. Our safety procedures and operations manual have been proven with over 200 days of work performed last year with zero safety incidents. We look forward to bringing our…

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Drones In The News 

Sky-Futures: Use of Drones for Oil and Gas Inspections

We came across this press release and wanted to share it with our readers.  Using drones for oil and gas inspections is another great example of using drone/uav technology to increase efficiency (dollars and time) while improving employee safety.  We applaud these efforts and look forward to seeing many more. Drones for Oil and Gas Inspections Sky-Futures USA, a Houston based company offering drone inspection services to the Oil and Gas industry is today awarded a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Section 333 Exemption permitting the use of its Ascending Technologies…

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In British Columbia, drones are roof inspectors

There are so many great uses for drones/uavs and the government of British Columbia recognized a great use case: roof inspectors. Anytime humans need to work at great heights it is worth considering drone technology.  Learn how Victoria Aerial Survey tackled this job (originally published on Business Vancouver). “When the British Columbia government wanted to inspect the roof of the most important building in the province, it called on an innovative pilot who launched a drone above the British Columbia legislature. The contract to Victoria Aerial Survey revealed the startling…

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Drones In The News 

Drones are Labor-Saving Devices for one California Solar Developer

This was originally published on Solar Industry Magazine.  Not only are the drones labor-saving, they are reducing human risk, increasing overall quality, and reducing cost.  We applaud the team at CalCom Solar and hope you enjoy reading the article.   Labor-saving through drones “CalCom Solar, a Visalia, Calif.-based engineering, procurement and construction firm for solar photovoltaic installations, is testing the waters of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and, in the process, seeing a slew of future applications. Nic Stover, the company’s CEO, is no stranger to the technology: The final project of his Master’s…

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