October 16, 2018, issue of 'AOPA Drone Pilot'


VOL 2, ISSUE 21	October 16, 2018

Top Stories

Drone fees, new rules expected

The new federal law authorizing FAA operations through 2023 is certain to spell major changes for recreational and commercial drone pilots. Read more >

Training and Safety

Documenting drone damage

Researchers shot drones at an airplane wing to document the very real risk even small unmanned aircraft pose to manned aviation. Read more and watch a video >

Unmanned aircraft invade Balloon Fiesta

Only one of the 450-plus drones detected in and around the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was allowed to be there. Read more and watch a video >

Getting the story

The Columbia Journalism Review takes an in-depth look at how journalists balance regulations, privacy, and safety. Read more >

Drones unwelcome at high school football games

Alabama High School Athletic Association rules, and the FAA, prohibit the kind of drone-flying behavior captured by a local television station. Read more and watch a video >

Gear

Ready to fly, DIY

The speedy Teal One is a compact quadcopter with replaceable parts, its chips and software made to be customized. Read more >

Going nuclear

A drone with its own cage made by Flyability survived intense radiation at a nuclear facility. Read more >

Parachute approved for flight over fans

Israeli drone parachute maker ParaZero's safety system won a landmark approval. Read more >

Lifestyle

Group promotes female pilots

Women Who Drone is a network of thousands aiming to promote opportunities and education. Read more >

Aerial painting

This is what happens when researchers mount a can of spray paint on a quadcopter. Read more and watch the video >

Public Safety

Storm response draws all assets

Hurricane Michael devastated communities in the Florida panhandle, and responders used every imaging tool in the arsenal, including drones, to document the devastation. News outlets flew the disaster area with manned and unmanned aircraft. Watch a video >

Tracking gunshots by drone

University of Kentucky professor Suzanne Smith hopes drones can help stop gun violence. Read more >

Autonomous drones test air quality

Research could produce a fleet of drones able to sniff out hazardous gas after a disaster.Read more >

Rescue delayed

From Australia, an example of an all-too common scenario: a drone delaying a rescue operation. Read more and watch a video >

Thermal camera leads police to kidnapped teen

Police used a drone-mounted thermal camera to find a kidnapping victim. Read more >

Regulation and Policy

FBI warns of drone threat

FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate committee that drones in the hands of terrorists and other criminals pose a "steadily escalating threat." Read more >

Pennsylvania enacts drone law

Under a new law in Pennsylvania, using a drone to invade privacy now carries a $300 fine, and smuggling is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Read more >

Border violations

Federal officials say they are powerless to stop a growing number of drones crossing the Mexico border. Read more >

News

Expanding shark protection

Drones are part of a multi-pronged shark protection strategy evolving in Australia. Read more >

100 miles in five days

Honeywell worked with an Arkansas utility to map 100 miles of power lines in a single workweek. Read more >

Fly like a bug

Dutch scientists are building drones that mimic insects, and may one day replace them for pollinating plants. Read more and watch a video >

Firm claims pesticide first

A family-run business in Oregon is authorized to apply pesticides with a drone. Read more >

Criminal carelessness

A pair of would-be smugglers ran the camera while loading their drone with drugs. The drone crashed inside the prison. Where are those smugglers now? You guessed it. Read more >