December 11, 2018, issue of 'AOPA Drone Pilot'


VOL 2, ISSUE 25	December 11, 2018

Top Stories

Flying eyes on the floodgates

Flying just above a torrent of floodwaters blasting from a dam's gates inspires a pilot to exercise caution, and marvel at the beauty and power of Mother Nature. Read more and watch a video >

Training and Safety

Method over madness

Paperwork is not the fun part of flying drones, but keeping track of details can spare you many headaches. Read more >

Building a drone business

Gold Seal UAV Ground School and VidMuze Aerial Cinema cover the basics of building a successful drone business in this free webinar. Watch the video >

Meet Buzzy, the FAA safety drone

With holiday arrivals in mind, the FAA deployed a cartoon quadcopter to help educate new drone owners. Read more and watch a video >

Minnesota DOT teaches drone safety

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has taken a proactive approach to drone safety and education for new users. Read more and watch a video >

Gear

Parachute options expand

ParaZero is now making parachutes for smaller quadcopters. Read more and watch a video >

No place like drone for the holidays

With Christmas around the corner, Popular Science compiled a list of gift ideas that goes beyond drones. Read more >

Phantom 4 in short supply?

DJI's Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 remained out of stock in the official DJI store on Dec. 10, prompting some speculation. Read more >

Heavy hauler

A Kentucky firm developed this gasoline-powered drone that can lift up to 200 pounds. Read more >

Lifestyle

Automated watchdog

A California entrepreneur created a home security system with an integrated drone. Read more >

Teaching with sUAS

Teachers at this Tennessee middle school report drones are inspiring love of science, technology, engineering, and math. Read more and watch a video >

Public Safety

NYPD drone

New York City police have created an unmanned aircraft program, but not without controversy. Read more >

ALTi Transition for SAR

South Africa's ALTi UAS adapted its Transition for search and rescue. Read more >

DroneDeploy assists Camp Fire response

DroneDeploy helped document damage from the worst fire in California history. Read more >

How LAFD built a UAS program

Fighting wildfires helped spotlight the Los Angeles Fire Department's drone unit. Read more >

Unmanned aircraft saving lives

The Brookings Institution counted more than 900 local, state, and federal agencies using unmanned aircraft to good effect. Read more >

Regulation and Policy

Amazon drone delivery delayed

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos once predicted drones would deliver holiday gifts this year. The Associated Press looks at what happened to that timetable. Read more >

AOPA works to mitigate GPS interference

All kinds of aircraft rely on GPS for navigation, and AOPA is working to limit disruption to this critical infrastructure. Read more >

FAA has new integration chief

Jay Merkle, a longtime FAA staffer who helped build the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability program, has been tapped to lead the agency's overall unmanned aircraft integration effort. Read more >

India rolls out rules

India's new unmanned aircraft regulations include a registration requirement applied to drones and pilots, and airspace controls. Read more >

News

Detect-and-avoid demonstrated

A new system successfully separated manned and unmanned aircraft in upstate New York. Read more and watch a video >

Swiss Post expands hospital service

A California company supplied the technology for this hospital delivery system expanding in Switzerland. Read more >

Parrot buyout offer boosts stock

French drone maker Parrot's sagging stock surged when the majority shareholder made a buyout offer. Read more >

DHS to test counter-drone tech

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to pick some counter-drone winners in the race to protect critical infrastructure. Read more >