April 30, 2019, issue of 'AOPA Drone Pilot'


VOL 3, ISSUE 9	April 30, 2019

Top Stories

Drone 'eyes' might be better than yours

A computer-vision collision-avoidance solution developed for drones may one day make every kind of aircraft safer. (Photo courtesy of Iris Automation.) Read more >

UMD team delivers kidney for successful transplant

Pilots and surgeons collaborated to achieve a milestone medical mission. Read more >

Matternet begins drone medical deliveries

California drone delivery pioneer Matternet has begun regular hospital deliveries in North Carolina. Read more >

Wing deliveries approved

Wing Aviation will soon begin delivering packages with drones in Virginia. Read more and watch a video >

Training and Safety

Mapping workshop seats still available

There's still time to sign up for discounted training on advanced mapping and modeling during the AOPA Fly-In at Frederick, Maryland, May 10 and 11. Register today >

Shots fired, what's next?

The inaugural episode of the AOPA Pilot Protection Services Podcast features AOPA drone law experts dissecting the issues that arise if someone shoots down your drone. Listen to the podcast >

Crop dusters inbound

The arrival of spring means you should pay special attention and expect low-flying aircraft over otherwise quiet farm fields. Read more >

FAA spells out airspace

If you ever get confused about airspace—and it's easy to get confused—a free FAA webinar on May 9 will help you master the airspace alphabet. Register today >

Gear

Motor failure does not have to crash your quadcopter

A Swiss drone company has achieved what some thought impossible: enabling a four-rotor drone to fly with just two or three motors still spinning. Read more >

DJI denies Phantom's demise

Phantom series drones made DJI a giant of the industry. Now, DJI is pushing back on one staffer's public statement that the Phantom line has reached its end. Read more >

ANAFI gets thermal capability

Parrot added thermal imaging capability to the $1,900 ANAFI quadcopter. Read more >

Lifestyle

Friday night lights 2.0

Go behind the scenes and see how drones will dazzle the crowd at the AOPA Frederick Fly-In at 9 p.m. on May 10. Don't forget to save yourself a spot! Watch the video >

Wing Aviation hiring chief pilot

Wing Aviation, recently authorized to begin drone deliveries in the United States, is looking for a chief pilot. Read more >

Public Safety

Drones helped save Notre Dame

Learn how robots helped firefighters save the iconic Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. Read more and watch a video >

Bucket brigade

Small drones might one day swarm to put wet stuff on the red stuff. Read more and watch a video >

Autonomous SAR

An autonomous unmanned helicopter could shape the future of search-and-rescue operations. Read more and watch a video >

Regulation and Policy

AOPA urges safe integration, freedom to fly

AOPA, among the largest organizations of drone pilots in the world, urged the FAA to give pilots and the industry enough freedom to reach their potential. Read more >

FAA gets an earful

Many organizations and hundreds of pilots joined AOPA in commenting on recent regulatory initiatives that would ease restrictions on advanced drone operations. There were 934 comments on the proposed rule for flights over people and at night, and a preliminary query about potential changes to operational limits drew 1,840 responses.

Is your privacy at risk?

Remote drone identification is on the horizon, and that has implications for every remote pilot's privacy. Read more >

News

Drone rediscovers flower thought extinct

Researchers flying in Hawaii found a native plant so rare they had thought it was extinct. Read more >

The origins of return-to-home

Learn what your quadcopter owes to sailors who pioneered return-to-home centuries ago. Read more >

Delivery drones just killer robot prototypes

Forbes contributor Kalev Leetaru wonders if the Terminator movies taught us anything. Read more >