Pilot v. North Carolina; Drone v. Iceland's new volcano


VOL 5, ISSUE 8	April 13, 2021

Top Stories

Drone imaging deemed illegal

North Carolina regulators ordered photographer Michael Jones to stop selling aerial images of roofs, parking lots, and construction in progress. Jones did as he was told, but he is fighting that order in court. Read more and watch a video >

Alleged harassment brings another charge

Two years after he allegedly dive-bombed firefighters with a drone in Virginia, James Russell Weeks III was charged with flying the unregistered aircraft that crashed inside the fire station and became evidence. Read more >

Mars powered flight delayed

NASA's Ingenuity dual-rotor drone unexpectedly aborted a runup to mankind's first powered flight on another planet. The helicopter is reported to be fine, but engineers pushed its maiden voyage to no sooner than April 14. Read more >

Training and Safety

FAA recurrent training now live

A major overhaul of FAR Part 107 takes effect April 21, allowing operations at night without a waiver, as well as over moving vehicles and people in certain circumstances. The FAA posted details with links to online training that is a prerequisite for exercising the new privileges. Read more >

Breaking down privacy laws

A Michigan appeals court ruling on police use of drone imagery has broad implications. General Counsel Mickey Osterreicher of the National Press Photographers Association joins the Drone Service Providers Alliance to discuss. Watch the video >

Firefighters urge end to drone incursions

Hundreds of fires have burned tens of thousands of acres of Minnesota wildland since March, and drone incursions continue to plague firefighters, putting pilots and other personnel at risk while delaying suppression. Read more >

MLB deploys drone defense

Major League Baseball's opening day prompted this reminder from the FAA to never take your drone out to the ballgame. Local media reported Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore is equipped to detect aerial intruders.

Lifestyle

FPV spells movie magic

First-person views from nimble drones have enticed filmmakers around the world. Read more >

The downside of success

Police in Chula Vista, California, were among the first to embrace unmanned aircraft technology, and now the department's most experienced pilots are finding new jobs as consultants. Read more >

News

Sometimes the windshield, sometimes the bug

Research by Virginia Tech, an insurance company, and a drone parachute maker found that the risk of windshield penetration is low at combined speeds below 62 mph, so the FAA relaxed (as of April 21) a previously absolute prohibition against drone flights over moving vehicles. Read more >

Wyoming Highway Patrol fields fleet

A federal grant paid for nine Parrot Anafi quadcopters now deployed by the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the state Department of Transportation. Their missions include scanning for avalanche risks and crash investigation. Read more >

From ethics to privacy

The rapid advancement of drone technology and artificial intelligence raises questions on policy as legislators and courts wrestle with drone-age ethics. Read more >

Featured Video

Vulcan drone melt

One photographer was willing (if not eager) to sacrifice one of his three Mavic 2 Pros for close-ups of Iceland's new volcano: "The drone is completely melted from the outside and there are so many malfunctions and errors that it's funny to fly," he wrote on Vimeo, adding that it remains functional. (Image courtesy of Stefan Forster via Vimeo.) Watch the video >

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