December 12, 2017, issue of 'AOPA Drone Pilot'


VOL 1, ISSUE 22	December 12, 2017

Top Stories

The art of disaster response by drone

Few people in the world have more firsthand experience flying drones in disaster areas than Justin Adams, the man behind the wheel leading a team along Washington's Mount Baker Highway, winding through thick forest, toward an active volcano that the U.S. Geological Survey considers a "very high" potential threat. The plan was to fly drones in various locations that will be in the path of the destruction expected when this glacier-capped stratovolcano once again blows its top. Read more >

Training and Safety

Embry-Riddle offers free drone class

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will offer a free, two-week online course on drone operations. "Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Key Concepts for New Users" will run Jan. 22 through Feb. 4. Read more >

Avoid these common mistakes

WanderWorx, a husband-and-wife team that tours the world producing travel videos using drones (and other cameras), offers sage advice for rookie pilots in this 12-minute video. Watch the video >

DARTdrones works with Global Aerospace

DARTdrones, an unmanned aircraft training provider that produces material offered free to AOPA members, has now established a relationship with aviation insurance company Global Aerospace. Read more >

Gear

DJI goggles reviewed

WeTalkUAV offers a detailed review of the latest first-person-view goggles from DJI. Read more >

uAvionix lands more investment capital

Communications, navigation, and surveillance device maker uAvionix of Palo Alto, California, is developing avionics solutions including Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast devices for manned and unmanned aircraft. New investment by Airbus Ventures stands to accelerate those efforts. Read more >

Lifestyle

Drone captures photos of Houston snow

Snow in Houston is rare enough that even a few inches cause real excitement. The Houston Chronicle published dozens of images, many taken by drone. Read more >

Dutch police ditch drone-hunting eagles

Police in the Netherlands spent more than a year working with eagles trained to hunt drones, but recently concluded it was not cost-effective. Read more >

US military turns to birds to counter drone threat

While Dutch police have dropped their drone-hunting eagles (see above), the U.S. military is studying the use of anti-drone falcons, Bloomberg reports. Read more >

Regulation and Policy

Drone collisions with aircraft modeled

The results of the first study to use computer modeling to simulate midair collisions between manned and unmanned aircraft in detail strongly suggest that the danger of such real-world collisions must be taken seriously. Read more >

New Jersey bill would make drunken droning a crime

New Jersey lawmakers are advancing a bill that would make the really bad idea of flying a drone under the influence a crime. Read more >

North Carolina updates drone laws

New drone laws are now in effect in North Carolina. Read more >

News

Los Angeles firefighters deploy drones

As devastating fires tore through Los Angeles, firefighters launched drones for the first time. Read more >

Japanese drone to nudge workers home

A company in Japan plans to blast music from a drone inside the office to encourage workers to go home. Read more >

This drone will self-destruct

Amazon has patented one method of making drone deliveries over people a little safer: In case of in-flight emergency, the drone blows itself to bits. Read more >

Matternet-Mercedes partnership marks milestone

Matternet, the California-based developer of delivery drones that partnered with Mercedes-Benz to test drone delivery in Switzerland, recently reported 100 perfect drop-offs. Read more >