March 3, 2020, issue of 'AOPA Drone Pilot'


VOL 4, ISSUE 5	March 3, 2020

Top Stories

AOPA asks FAA to facilitate low-risk drone ops under remote ID

Tracking drones will make flying safer for all, but the FAA should not sacrifice the freedom to fly in the interest of safety when both can be achieved simultaneously, AOPA commented on a notice of proposed rulemaking that provoked a huge response. Read more >

Training and Safety

Drone mapping for the rest of us

Open-source software can produce a useful product without breaking the bank. Read more >

Flying and learning

Grants are funding drone camps and classroom programs across the country. Check out recent examples in Virginia and upstate New York that are among several efforts to fuse STEM learning with hands-on aviation.

Gear

Forward-thinking Parrot

French drone maker Parrot was tapped to supply the Swiss army with micro models, and has teamed up with an app developer to create custom artificial intelligence for the Anafi platform. Read more >

No GPS? No problem

"Scoutonomy" maps indoor facilities autonomously, defying stability concerns related to GPS denial that are often associated with indoor flight. Read more and watch a video >

Lifestyle

We'll take two

An aerobatic multirotor UAS large enough to carry a passenger became something of an online sensation after the Drone Champions League posted a test flight video. Read more and watch a video >

Drone delivers marriage proposal

A drone brought this couple together, then helped seal the deal. Watch their charming Instagram story >

Public Safety

Fighting the coronavirus

Drone teams are fighting coronavirus in China in various ways, including aerial application of disinfectant, public message broadcasting, and remote body temperature measurement. Read more >

Indoor fly-off

A decommissioned hospital in Texas was the proving ground as engineer and YouTuber Garret Bryl gathered a group to put three popular quadcopters to an indoor flight test. Watch the videos below to see which flew farthest into the darkness.

Watch a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise fly the interior course, as well as a transition from outdoors to indoors.

Watch a Parrot Anafi Thermal probe the hallways, as well as an exterior-to-interior transition.

Watch the Autel Evo fly the interior course, as well as an exterior-to-interior transition.

FOIA uncovers Air Force buzz on mystery drones

A Freedom of Information Act request produced U.S. Air Force documents that suggest the military was just as perplexed as the rest of us about the recent drone sightings in Colorado and Nebraska. Read more >

Mystery drones on the move

Mysterious drones are lighting up the Colorado night sky in a new location. Read more >

Regulation and Policy

Drone Advisory Committee replay

If you missed the February 27 FAA Drone Advisory Committee meeting, you can watch the hourlong discussion of remote ID, advanced operations, and other hot topics online. Watch the video >

Remote ID protest

A Massachusetts drone pilot organized a protest in Washington, D.C., to "Help Save Our Hobby." Read more >

Alabama bill prompts pushback

Alabama lawmakers are considering bills that would ban drones from conducting surveillance on behalf of environmental advocates. Read more >

News

Caught infrared-handed

Thermal imaging from above revealed a British cannabis farm, and landed the grower in prison. Read more >

Feeding hungry Marines

The whir of tiny rotors could soon have U.S. Marines salivating on the battlefield. Read more >

Ally, not enemy

Drones have caused many a headache for airport operators, but there's an upside, too. Read more >