After a few months of success with air force pilots and rear gunners with shotguns taking out Russian drones in a Yak-52, the Ukraine military is now training pilots and gunners to use the rag-and-tube A-22 to do the same. Previously the light sport aircraft (LSA) have been used as single-use flying bombs and have taken out some high-value targets. 

According to Forbes, Russian bloggers say it’s time to do something about the new role and its inspiration.

“The Yak-52 flew over Odessa and with high efficiency shot down our reconnaissance UAVs for a week, causing laughter in some circles,” Forbes quoted a translation of the blogs as saying. “This has not been funny to UAV operators and us for a long time.”

What, exactly, the Russians might do to counteract the low-and-slow platforms wasn’t discussed on the blog. The Yak has reportedly taken out 12 drones that cost about $100,000 each.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Drone-Downing Ukrainian Piston Planes Annoying Russians appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to an arrest affidavit, Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at Clermont’s Walmart store Wednesday in response to a drone being shot while flying on delivery.

Representatives from DroneUp, a new drone delivery service partnered with Walmart, told deputies they had a two-man crew in a nearby neighborhood promoting their company by doing mock deliveries. The crew was at the delivery point outside Dennis Winn’s residence in a cul-de-sac.

After the drone arrived and began its descent, one of the DroneUp employees told authorities a man, later identified as Winn, pointed a handgun at the drone. After hearing a gunshot, the crew ran to the van and drove back to Walmart. The damaged drone also returned to the store.

The crew spotted a bullet hole in the drone’s payload system and estimated the damage at $2,500. Deputies noted metal shavings consistent with bullet fragmentation. The complainant from DroneUp told deputies the drone will be inoperable for some time.

Questioned by a deputy at his home, Winn said the drone had flown over his house, so he shot at it with his 9 mm handgun. Winn told the deputy he had past experience with drones flying over his house and believed they were surveilling him.

The deputy said Winn reacted with disbelief when he was told he had shot a Walmart drone.

The deputy told Winn the damages amount to $10,000, which he had been advised were the damages at the time. Winn told the deputy that if he had to pay $10,000, then he wanted the drone as his personal property.

The deputy told Winn the round he shot had gone over several other residences, and he acknowledged his actions were reckless. The deputy notes in the affidavit that when officers arrived on the scene, a small child was playing in the cul-de-sac near Winn’s residence.

Winn was taken to Lake County Jail and charged with shooting or throwing deadly missiles into dwellings, vessels or vehicles, criminal mischief of $1,000 or more in damage, and discharging a firearm in public or on residential property. Firing at an aircraft is a felony in Florida. Winn was released on $13,500 bond on Thursday.

According to Florida law, drones cannot be operated over or close to “critical infrastructure facilities” but can fly over residential neighborhoods.

That said, the state does not limit the authority of local governments to enact and enforce ordinances relating to nuisances, voyeurism, harassment, reckless endangerment, property damage or other illegal acts arising from the use of drones.

The representative from DroneUp told Lake County deputies that DroneUp is a drone delivery service defined by Florida statute and is governed by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations concerning aeronautics and space.

A spokesperson from Walmart Inc. told FreightWaves the company was aware of the incident and referred questions to Lake County law enforcement. DroneUp did not immediately respond to FreightWaves’ request for comment. Winn also could not be reached for comment.

Author CALEB REVILL is a journalist, writer and lifelong learner working as a junior writer for Firecrown. When he isn’t tackling breaking news, Caleb is on the lookout for fascinating feature stories. Every person has a story to tell, and Caleb wants to help share them. He can be contacted by email anytime at Caleb.Revill@firecrown.com.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on FreightWaves.

The post Florida Man Arrested on Charges of Shooting Walmart Delivery Drone appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Monday announced the launch of a drone and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) program, joining the more than 1,500 police departments nationwide that deploy the buzzing aircraft as eyes in the sky—and raising privacy concerns from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The MPD says it will provide public notice of drone flights “when feasible,” but some operations will occur without public announcement. Flight logs will be available on the department’s website.

“We know that MPD’s Air Support Unit (ASU) plays an important role in driving down crime and keeping our community safe, and these upgrades are going to support that work,” Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, D.C., said in a statement Monday.

The MPD also put down $6.2 million on a new Airbus H-125 helicopter for the ASU, which it says is faster, swifter, and better performing than the model it will replace.

As of Monday, the ASU so far this year has helped officers make 76 arrests, completed 100 “photo missions,” including crowd management operations, and performed hundreds of safety checks on drivers, boaters, hikers, and pedestrians.

The MPD describes the UAS program’s five Anafi drones, built by U.S. manufacturer Parrot and procured for around $15,000 each, as “critical investments” aimed at driving down crime in the District. According to crime statistics released by the MPD, total crime in the district rose by 26 percent and violent crime by 39 percent between 2022 and 2023. As of Tuesday, total and violent crime are down 17 percent and 27 percent, respectively, year to date.

Each drone is equipped with cameras and can fly for about 30 minutes without recharging. Per the Washington Informer newspaper, 20 certified drone operators have so far completed a 40-hour MPD training course to earn FAA Part 107 certification.

The aircraft will not fly around sensitive locations such as the White House or Capitol building that are part of D.C.’s No Drone Zone. Operations within that area require the FAA’s signoff.

The drones and helicopter will feed live video to the MPD’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC), a facility opened earlier this year that is staffed around the clock by local, regional, and federal law enforcement “to monitor and respond to criminal activities in real time.”

The center also analyzes data from emergency calls, CCTV cameras and license plates—the district’s recently approved fiscal year 2025 budget allocates funding for 200 more CCTV cameras and 47 license plate readers. This data, which may now include drone footage of a car crash or criminal suspect, for example, can be shared up and down the law enforcement hierarchy. Some have concerns about how it could be used.

“The growing use of surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies without limits, transparency, and accountability is deeply concerning,” said Monica Hopkins, executive director of the ACLU’s D.C. branch, in a statement viewed by FLYING. “Drones are a powerful and novel surveillance technology, and the district’s police drone expansion simply does not have sufficient guardrails to ensure our privacy and security.”

What They’re For

Some District residents, understandably, have concerns about how the police will use UAS.

Each MPD drone will transmit data and provide the ASU with a real-time, bird’s-eye view of crime scenes. According to the department, the ability to fly at lower altitude than a police helicopter allows drones to produce better quality imaging and access hard-to-reach places. The aircraft could also keep officers out of harm’s way, such as during a bomb threat situation.

Drones will be deployed to survey for missing persons, assist in water searches, reconstruct traffic crashes, and carry out warrants that are considered high risk. At large gatherings, including “First Amendment assemblies” such as protests, they cannot be used to track individual participants. But flights over people “while performing other police functions” such as crowd control are fair game.

UAS will also be used to track “dangerous subjects,” according to Bowser and MPD Chief Pamela Smith. The suspect must be armed and hiding in a defined area that would pose a risk of injury or death to an officer. The drone can only be deployed when surveillance and containment are determined to be “the safest tactics for apprehension.”

In addition, drones will support operations of the MPD’s Emergency Response Team and Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Harbor Patrol units.

Operations will be conducted by a licensed remote pilot in command (RPIC) within the MPD’s Homeland Security Bureau (HSB) or ASU, who will perform preflight checks, postflight assessments, and documentation of all operations. So far only one flight is publicly listed: a training mission on June 13.

What’s Off Limits?

The MPD on its website says all drone operations “will be conducted in a manner consistent with constitutional rights and legal standards.” The aircraft will be grounded in high winds, heavy rain, or low visibility, for example, and cannot violate FAA regulations such as temporary flight restrictions.

Deployment on the basis of identity, including race, religion, gender, and age, will be prohibited. Detractors of the program, though, may note that a similar restriction was placed on New York City’s stop-and-frisk policy, which a federal judge found unconstitutional because it led to racial discrimination.

In the city of Chula Vista, California, home to arguably the country’s most robust police drone program, Wired magazine found that the aircraft disproportionately fly over—and film—poorer neighborhoods, which themselves are disproportionately populated by people of color, en route to their final destination. The poorer the neighborhood, the higher the likelihood of exposure to drones. The aircraft reportedly fly routinely over schools, hospitals, and religious institutions.

The Chula Vista Police Department told FLYING that these neighborhoods receive more exposure because drones are responding to a higher volume of 911 calls or officer calls for assistance, for example.

FLYING asked the MPD if cameras will continue to roll as the drones travel to their ultimate destination. The department did not confirm or deny this, saying that the aircraft will not fly far to get to the scene of a call.

Like other evidence, drone footage will be downloaded, categorized, and retained in an online database and can only be used “for official law enforcement purposes.” The public can request video via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In Chula Vista, however, attempts to have that footage released to the public via the courts have largely been an uphill battle.

Drones will not be allowed to carry weapons, including munitions such as tear gas or rubber bullets. Facial recognition software is also off-limits. Speaking at a press conference Monday, Smith said that the aircraft will not contain artificial intelligence, serve as first responders, or be used for general surveillance.

However, a general order outlining the program further mentions that UAS could be deployed for “exigent circumstances” approved by the HSB. The wording makes exceptions for quick deployments when a person is in immediate danger, for example, but defers some discretion from federal regulators like the FAA to the MPD’s Special Operations Division (SOD).

Who’s in Charge?

MPD drone operations will be overseen by an ASU supervisor, RPIC, and at least one visual observer (VO). Outdoors, flights must be within the line of sight of the RPIC or VO. Personnel will establish perimeters around those areas and try to keep them clear of people.

Deployments submitted to the RTCC by watch commanders will be approved or denied by the SOD commanding officer in consultation with an HSB-appointed drone program manager.

The RPIC must notify the RTCC before flying and document the reason for the flight (including whether or not a warrant was obtained), date, location, start and end times, and names of the people who approved the deployment. 

In “exigent circumstances,” they must also describe why a drone was required. According to Wired, in Chula Vista, one in every 10 flights listed publicly on the police department’s website—or nearly 500—had no stated purpose and was not linked to a 911 call.

In the event of a crash, the drone program manager is required to alert the SOD commander and may need to complete a report, conduct an investigation, or alert the FAA within 10 days, depending on the severity.

The MPD encouraged concerned residents to reach out to their representatives directly or through online or community channels.

“MPD will collaborate with community stakeholders to address any concerns or questions regarding drone operations,” it says on its website.

A Divided Public

On Monday, Smith said she expects the size and capabilities of the department’s drone fleet to change in the near future. In the days leading up to the program’s rollout, the MPD chief met with community members and other stakeholders, who mostly offered their support so long as the program actually has an effect on crime.

Karen Gaal, an alumna of the MPD’s Community Engagement Academy who met with Smith last week, told the Informer that most alumni supported the new drone measures.

Other community members, however, feel that the program was sprung on them.

Wendy Hamilton, chair of the district’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission (AND) 8D—one of several groups of locally elected neighborhood representatives—said information on the drone program was buried in the MPD’s Monday announcement and caught ANC officials by surprise.

Hamilton, who also met with Smith last week, criticized the MPD’s lack of data to support drones as a solution for reducing crime—a sentiment echoed by Jamila White, who represented Ward 8A at the meeting.

“Are the drones looking for crime? Are they going to be concentrated on certain apartment complexes? There’s a lot of questions,” White told the Informer.

In a statement provided to FLYING, Hopkins added: “The Fourth Amendment gives people the right to live without the suspicionless mass surveillance that this drone program could enable. If a police drone flies over my neighborhood, what will it capture, and how will the information be used? If neighborhood kids are playing with an airsoft gun, is their house going to get raided by a SWAT team? Will we need to worry that a police drone is looking through the windows into our living rooms?”

Concerned residents can look to other police drone programs for some answers.

MTA drones will not be deployed as first responders as they are in Chula Vista. But the initiative could suffer from the same symptoms as that program, like the collection of police footage of poor neighborhoods.

Wired reported that most of the Chula Vista residents it interviewed support the program. But a few have concerns. Some said they feel scared walking down the street, at the public pool, and even in their own backyards due to the perception of near-constant drone surveillance.

Since 2018, the city’s police department has made about 20,000 drone flights, assisting in nearly 2,800 arrests. According to the latest data, the majority of cases involve disturbances, domestic violence, and involuntary holds on people suffering mental health crises. But they are sometimes used to respond to more minor incidents such as shoplifting, vandalism, and noise complaints.

The good news is that there is legal precedent against using drones for general surveillance. In 2021, U.S Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a controversial drone surveillance program by the Baltimore Police Department, which contracted with a private company to fly camera-equipped planes over the city.

The ACLU, which supported the FAA’s implementation of remote identification for drones, still calls for greater oversight on DFR programs, such as by having public representatives, rather than police departments, draw up policies on drone usage.

But according to the Cato Institute, nearly 6 in 10 Americans support police use of drones. As adoption by law enforcement continues to rise, greater restrictions on the aircraft may require citizens with privacy concerns to speak up.

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The post Eyes in the Sky in the U.S. Capital Raise Privacy Concerns appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

While not backed by any specific medical findings, drones help to minimize the symptoms of PTSD I experience on a daily basis. I think looking at the world from an aerial perspective helps slow things down in my mind. I have spoken with many other veterans who have experienced the same relief while flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It’s a benefit of drone technology that I doubt was part of their intended design.

Like lessening the effects of PTSD for me, there are many applications for drones that most people have not heard of. The drone industry is rapidly growing, and that has fueled innovative methods for applying the technology, ranging from studying whales to surveillance, through inspections of crops in precision agriculture.

Applications You May Not Know About

Drones have revolutionized numerous fields by providing innovative solutions to a wide variety of challenges. When most people think of drones, they focus on aerial photography and recreational flying. While these applications are important, they represent only a fraction of what drones can do for us. 

Here are seven notable applications of drones that highlight their diverse and beneficial uses.

• Organ transplant delivery
• Wildlife conservation
• Law enforcement (public safety and SWAT operations)
• Humanitarian assistance
• Precision agriculture
• Studying whales
• Planting trees

Revolutionizing Healthcare: Organ Transplant Delivery by Drones

In the U.S., there are more than 100,000 people in need of organ transplants. Without the gift of a lifesaving organ from a donor, many of these people will die. As if finding organs weren’t difficult enough, the medical community faces another challenge transporting medical specimens safely and efficiently. 

In 2019, the University of Maryland, in collaboration with the University of Maryland Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, conducted the first delivery of an organ to a patient by drone. Thanks to the endeavor’s success, drone organ deliveries have continued since this historic first.

Drones improve the success rate of transplants by ensuring that organs are delivered quickly and safely, even in traffic-congested urban areas. It’s a unique approach to solving a problem that affects many transplant recipients. When time is of the essence, drone technology saves lives.

Enhancing Wildlife Conservation: Drones in Anti-Poaching Efforts

Unfortunately, we live in a world where some people behave unethically. The poaching of animals, especially endangered species, is one example of this type of behavior. Scientists and conservationists have learned that if you equip drones with a thermal camera, you can protect animals. 

Drones can track animal movements, gather data on animals without disturbing their habitats, and deter poachers by patrolling large conservation areas. Organizations such as Air Shepherd are using drones and artificial intelligence to find poachers at night and stop them. As technology continues to improve, drones may one day be responsible for saving the planet’s most endangered species.

Advanced Tactical Support: Drones in SWAT Operations

Most of us know that law enforcement professionals use drones for aerial surveillance. But what if drones could do more than just monitor a situation? Well, one Seattle-based company, BRINC, has developed drones that can actually assist SWAT in entering buildings and de-escalating intense situations.

BRINC’s LEMUR series of drones can break glass windows to enter facilities and navigate within buildings without GPS. The drones are equipped with two-way radios so law enforcement can communicate with hostages or suspects within a building, and resolve crises without placing officers in harm’s way.

Lifesaving Aid: Drones in Humanitarian Efforts

In the aftermath of natural disasters, drones are crucial for delivering medical supplies, food, and water to areas that are difficult or impossible to reach by traditional means. Drones can also assess damage, locate survivors, and map disaster zones for efficient rescue operations.

A UAV company called Zipline, for example, has pioneered the transport of medical supplies to remote areas of Rwanda via drone. In fact, the business transports whole blood, platelets, frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, and vaccines nationwide. Currently over 75 percent of blood transfusions outside the capital city of Kigali are made possible by Zipline’s drones.

Transforming Farming: Drones in Precision Agriculture

The world’s population is more than eight billion, many of whom suffer from food scarcity. Given current population growth rates, experts project that we’ll need to double our food production rates by 2050. Unfortunately there isn’t enough arable land to grow the crops needed to support those numbers, so the only solution is to use land more efficiently.

Precision agriculture is a farming management approach that uses technology and data analysis to optimize crop yields, enabling us to get the most out of finite resources. Using RGB, thermal, and multispectral cameras, licensed drone operators can monitor crop health and assess soil conditions. UAVs can even apply pesticides or fertilizers precisely where needed, enhancing crop yields and reducing waste.

Marine Research Revolution: Drones for Studying Whales

Blue whales are the largest animals on earth. These gentle giants can grow over 100 feet long and weigh more than 200 tons. Studying these animals (and other types of whales) can be a real challenge. On one hand, the sheer size of these animals makes it difficult to track and observe them, requiring researchers to keep their distance. Conversely, getting too close to these behemoths can invade their natural habitat and potentially cause harm.

Drones can circumvent both of these issues. By flying above whales, drones can collect data without disturbing cetaceans in their natural environment. 

One organization using drones for this purpose is the Ocean Alliance, which has created a revolutionary tool specifically for studying whales. Called SnotBot, the technology uses a modified consumer drone to fly over a whale’s blowhole and collect “snot” on petri dishes mounted to the UAV. 

The specimens collected by the team allow scientists to study DNA, stress and pregnancy hormones, microbiomes, and more, all without disturbing the whale’s health or ecosystem.

Reforestation Innovation: Drones for Planting Trees

As climate change becomes a growing concern, we are seeing more wildfires worldwide. The wildfires, in turn, further accelerate the effects of climate change, creating a vicious cycle that grows more destructive each time around. There’s simply no getting around the fact that we need to plant more trees.

Drones are revolutionizing reforestation efforts by doing just, which is particularly useful in the most difficult-to-reach areas. They carry and disperse seed pods, enabling the planting of thousands of trees in a short amount of time to support reforestation.

One innovator in this field is the company AirSeed. AirSeed utilizes advanced drone hardware and software technology to revolutionize the scalability and effectiveness of biodiverse planting projects. Through their efforts and others like them, drones have the potential to drastically improve the speed at which we can reforest the planet.

Ready to Start Your Journey in the Drone Industry?

As you can see from our list, the possibilities for drone technology are almost endless. The industry is growing, and new applications are constantly coming to fruition. 

Finding your place among these innovative applications, or within some of the more standard UAV gigs out there begins with earning your Part 107 license. 

You may want to review material for the exam and consider signing up for online training programs like those offered by Altitude University, King Schools, and the Pilot Institute. It could be you that one day invents the next amazing application of this game-changing technology.

FAQ

What is the use of drones in 3D mapping?

With the right equipment (camera, sensors, RTK), drones can accurately collect images and provide the data to produce detailed 2D and 3D maps. These maps can be used in project management, disaster relief, and many other applications.

What are four types of drones?

The most common type of drones used by commercial drone pilots are multirotors, primarily quadcopters. Other types include fixed-wing drones, single-rotor helicopter drones, and hybrid VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) drones.

What type of drones are most commonly used?

The two most common types of drones are multirotor and fixed-wing.

The post Beyond the Basics: What Are Drones Used for? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you are ready to join the ranks of this rapidly growing industry, our checklist will be the key to your success. By getting the proper certifications and appropriate training and deciding which career path is best for you, the skies can be your path to a rewarding career in the drone industry.

Quick Look: Drone Pilot Job Checklist

1. Meet the legal requirements for commercial drone pilot jobs.
2. Choose a career path (9-to-5 job or freelancer).
3. Train to make yourself more marketable.
4. Choose a niche.

Legal Requirements for Commercial Drone Pilots

Before you can begin your career as a drone pilot, you must meet certain legal requirements, as detailed below.

1. Obtain Remote Pilot Certification (Part 107)

In order to earn money from drone pilot employment, you must meet FAA Part 107 license requirements in accordance with its Small UAS Rule. Without this certification, pilots are violating federal law anytime they fly for profit. The pilot and even those hiring them can be subject to fines and jail time if they choose to ignore this rule.

Criteria to earn a remote pilot certification:

• Be at least 16 years old
• Read, write, speak, and understand English
• Be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a UAS
• Pass a TSA background check and adhere to specific rules regarding felony convictions 

If you meet all of the above requirements, you may sit for the initial aeronautical knowledge test, called the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) exam.

Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) exam details:

• Costs $175
• Consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, which you are given two hours to complete
• Requires a score of 70 percent or higher (at least 42 questions correct) to pass

If you pass the exam, there are a few administrative tasks you must complete to have the FAA send you your license, but you can start earning money while you wait for the official license to arrive in the mail. 

You will need to stay current by taking recurring training and passing a test every 24 months, but the training and test are online and free.

2. Register Your Drone

The second requirement is to register your drone or drones if you have several. Registering your drone is an easy process and is completed using the FAADroneZone website. The cost is only $5 per drone and must be renewed every three years.

Choosing a Path 

Before getting into the specifics of training, it is important to note that there are two paths everyone seeking drone pilot employment must choose between: full-time  and freelance.

Full-Time Employment

If you are interested in a steady paycheck, set hours, and benefits like medical, dental, and 401(k), you most likely want to be hired as a full-time pilot. Working for a company that employs commercial drone pilots offers security but may also limit your earning potential.

Freelancing

Freelance pilots operate their own businesses as drone service providers. While some of the security that comes with a 9-to-5 job is sacrificed, you can choose your own hours and have unlimited earning potential. Some pilots choose to combine the two paths and freelance outside their regular working hours, but most choose one path or the other.

Make Yourself Marketable With Commercial Drone Pilot Training 

Like any profession, commercial drone pilots can significantly increase their marketability through specialized training and the acquisition of new skills. There are many ways to continuously build your knowledge, but here are some of the best ones.

1. Enroll in Drone Pilot School

Schools for drone pilots come in all shapes and sizes, from brick-and-mortar multiyear universities like Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, to online education platforms such as Altitude University. 

While the FAA doesn’t require commercial drone pilots to attend any instruction before taking the Part 107 exam, the vast majority of pilots benefit from attending one of these programs. Students learn a wide range of materials, such as airspace rules, understanding weather conditions, and the legal requirements of drone operation.

2) Practice Piloting Skills

Some in-person programs teach piloting skills, but most pilots learn on their own. YouTube is a great resource for learning how to fly drones. While it varies with each individual, I like to recommend pilots fly at least 40 hours in a variety of locations and conditions before considering themselves a skilled drone operator.

3. Learn Your Equipment Thoroughly

Learning your equipment is just as important as learning how to fly. Drones are essentially flying cameras or data collection platforms. If you don’t understand how to use the equipment on your drone, you won’t be a successful commercial drone pilot. 

For example, if you’re using thermal imaging, you should invest in thermography classes such as those given by the industry leader Teledyne-FLIR. Search for well-established schools with good reviews when looking to expand your understanding of UAV-related equipment and payloads.

4. Don’t Forget Your Recurrent Training

Recurrent training is required by the FAA to keep your remote pilot certification current. You must complete the training and pass an exam every 24 months. 

The good news is the FAA provides the training and the test online for free. You must pass the exam with a 100 percent score, but the FAA allows you to go back and correct incorrect responses, so it’s essentially impossible not to pass.

Potential Drone Pilot Job Niches

Drone use began in the defense sector, but its applications have grown far beyond the battlefield. We’ll briefly highlight a few of the numerous niches in which you can specialize, but this is by no means a complete list of all the drone applications currently in use.

Real Estate

For most new operators, entry-level drone pilot jobs begin in the real estate industry. The real estate market is present in every community, and drones provide a unique perspective for showcasing real property. Studies have shown that properties marketed with drone footage have a much higher chance of selling. 

To succeed in this niche, you’ll need to understand the basics of photography and have a drone with at least a 20-megapixel camera. Lower megapixel cameras will work fine, but most real estate agents want at least 20-megapixels. You should also carry at least $1 million in liability insurance (which is the standard amount for most drone gigs anyway).

Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture has adopted drone technology with great success over the last decade. Drones can help with counting plants, identifying crop diseases, analyzing soil, and managing water. Pilots interested in this niche will need a drone with a multispectral camera and specialized software such as those provided by Pix4D and DroneDeploy for precision agriculture.

Construction

From mapping to project management to calculating material stockpiles, drones are well entrenched in the construction industry. Pilots will need to have a drone with a good RGB camera, and if they are mapping, they will need to consider additional equipment that improves precision in measuring, such as RTK and ground control points.

Cinematography

If the bright lights of Hollywood are calling, a career in drone cinematography may be just for you. Not too long ago, helicopters were the only way to get sweeping shots and fly-ins of scenes. Drones are more controllable and much more cost-effective. Many pilots in this niche build custom drones and use very expensive payloads with industry-leading cameras to capture cinematic footage. 

If you’d like to pursue a career in this field, you’ll need an in-depth understanding of photography and likely some experience with an established cinematographer before starting off on your own.

Insurance

The insurance industry uses drones to document the conditions of property before and after disasters. Many pilots are finding work in this niche, especially in areas prone to seasonal storms and natural disasters. The requirements for this field are similar to those for real estate photography. Depending on your state, you may also need additional certifications and training.

What Are You Waiting For?

The applications for drones are rapidly growing, and the need for skilled pilots continues to be a challenge for the industry. If you would like a rewarding occupation with highly marketable skills, the drone industry is a great choice with unlimited earning potential. 

Using our checklist as a guide, you can begin your journey and start turning your love for aviation and photography into a profitable and enjoyable career.

FAQ

How much do drone pilots get?

Salary.com estimates the average salary for drone pilot careers to be $48,649. It’s not uncommon for some pilots to earn over $100,000 per year.

What disqualifies you from becoming a drone pilot?

You must meet the minimum requirements set forth by the FAA.

• Be at least 16 years old
• Read, write, speak, and understand English
• Be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a UAS

Additionally, you must pass a background test and adhere to specific rules regarding felony convictions. If you do not meet these, you are disqualified from becoming a commercial drone pilot.

Is it hard to make money as a drone pilot?

As a UAV operator, the amount you earn generally reflects your efforts to find work. If you are hired full-time, earning a consistent amount may be easier. As a freelancer, you have unlimited earning potential if you are in the right market and providing a quality product.

The post Checklist: What You Need to Qualify for a Drone Pilot Job appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Born in 1882, Geoffrey de Havilland was the second son of a village pastor. At an early age, he displayed a mechanical interest and pursued a career as an automotive engineer, building cars and motorcycles. Frustrated at work, in 1909 he received a gift of 1,000 pounds from his grandfather to build his first airplane, just a few years after the Wright brothers had made their first flight.

By World War I, de Havilland was working for Airco, where he designed a number of early warplanes, which enjoyed varying success, and flew as his own test pilot. In 1920, with the support of his former boss, de Havilland set up his own independent company and embarked on a series of aircraft named after moths, inspired by his love of lepidopterology, or the study of butterflies and moths.

• READ MORE: Reaching Uncharted Corners of the Globe in a Fokker F.VII

In 1932, he introduced the DH.82 Tiger Moth, a variant of earlier aircraft designed specifically as a military trainer for the Royal Air Force (RAF), as well as other air forces. Like many aircraft at the time, the Tiger Moth’s fuselage is constructed of fabric-covered steel tubing, while its wings are made of fabric-covered wooden frames. I’ve seen a single person lift a Tiger Moth by the tail to take it out of its hangar. The Tiger Moth was powered by a de Havilland Gypsy air-cooled, 4-cylinder in-line engine which produced 120-130 hp, depending on the version.

Like most trainers, the Tiger Moth had two seats, each with its own set of controls, with the student in front and the instructor or solo pilot in back. One of the major changes introduced to the Tiger Moth, at RAF insistence, was folding door panels that made it easier to enter and exit both cockpits. The feature was absolutely essential when a student or instructor needed to quickly bail out wearing  heavy parachutes.

The silver knobs on the left control throttle, fuel mixture, and aileron trim. The knob on the right enables “auto slots,” slats on the wings that automatically deploy like flaps to provide additional lift at low speeds and high angles of attack. Notice that there is no artificial horizon. However, there is a turn indicator (in the center) as well as a red column that indicates the aircraft’s pitch. It is currently showing nose-up because the plane is resting on its tailwheel.

The compass, situated just in front of the stick, is a bit tricky. You can either keep it pointed toward north and look to where the line is pointing, or you can rotate the compass ring to show the current heading at the top and follow that by keeping it centered.

• READ MORE: Reenacting Bombing Missions in an F-117 Nighthawk

In addition to the cockpit gauge, there’s also a mechanical airspeed indicator on the left wing. Red shows typical stall speed range (below 45 mph).

I’m at England’s Upavon Airfield, a few miles north of Stonehenge, which was home to the RAF’s Central Flying School, founded in 1912, and where the first Tiger Moths were delivered. It is now a small army base (hence the vehicles) and is also used as a glider field. With no electrical starter, the Tiger Moth is hand-propped to get it started. The turning of the propeller, by hand, engages the magnetos that send charges to the spark plugs, starting the engine.

This particular Tiger Moth, N-6635, is based on the one on display at the Imperial War Museum at RAF Duxford, near Cambridge. It’s actually a composite that was put together with parts from different Tiger Moths.

The engine is modeled realistically. If you overstress it on full throttle for more than a few minutes, it will overheat and conk out. If you let it idle for too long, the spark plugs will foul up. With a small engine like this, the left-turning tendencies are not pronounced. However, the trickiest part of takeoff for most tailwheel airplanes is still when the tail comes up. The descent of the rotating propeller causes a gyroscopic precession to the left.

The Tiger Moth gained immediate popularity as the RAF’s primary trainer—the first airplane a would-be pilot learned to fly after ground school before moving on to more advanced fighters or bombers. It gained a reputation for being “easy to fly, but difficult to master.” In normal flight, it was forgiving of mistakes. On the other hand, the Tiger Moth required great precision from a pilot to learn aerobatic combat maneuvers, without going into a spin. However, it recovers easily from spins, which meant it highlighted a student’s shortcomings without (usually) putting them at fatal risk. Though I did notice that when flying upside down (or going through a roll), the engine sputters, probably because gravity messes with the fuel flow.

During the 1930s, between world wars, students selected by the RAF took about nine to 12 months to earn their pilot wings, building up about 150 hours of flight time, about 55 with an instructor and the rest solo. Their instruction included night, formation, and instrument flying, along with gunnery and aerobatics (for combat).

The Tiger Moth was sold to 25 air forces from different countries and proved popular to private buyers as well. It was a big commercial success for the company. A total of 1,424 Tiger Moths were produced prior to the outbreak of WWII, most of which were manufactured at the de Havilland factory in Hatfield, north of London.

Slowing down while descending to land can be difficult. I found I usually needed to cut the power to idle and glide in. Power-off landings were a very typical method in that era. It’s nearly impossible to see forward in the Tiger Moth, especially when landing. It’s best to lean your head out the side, while keeping one eye on controlling the airspeed at around 60 mph (about 15-20 mph above stalling).

• READ MORE: Exploring the Checkered History of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

There are also no wheel brakes. So once you do land, you just have to let friction slow you down. It’s easier in a grassy field like this.

The success of the Tiger Moth led to Geoffrey de Havilland being awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1934. But its story was only just beginning.

Welcome to Goderich Airport (CYGD) in Ontario, Canada, about 2.5 hours north of Detroit on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. In 1928, de Havilland set up a subsidiary in Canada to produce Tiger Moths to train Canadian airmen. This Tiger Moth, #8922 (registration C-GCWT), is based on a real plane that belongs to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope, Ontario, and is in airworthy condition.

With the outbreak of WWII in 1939, the British government realized that Britain itself was an unsuitable location for training large numbers of new pilots. Not only is the weather often poor, the airspace over Britain was quickly becoming a battleground between the beleaguered RAF and the German Luftwaffe—the last place you’d want a student pilot to learn how to fly.

Canada, in contrast, offered vast areas far from enemy activity, where pilot training could be conducted. To take advantage of this, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) was created to instruct thousands of airmen from Britain and across the Empire in safer locations like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, and South Africa. The yellow “training” livery was typical of the BCATP, though the real-life airplane was also equipped with a plexiglass-enclosed cockpit to permit winter training.

Many of the small airports dotted across Canada from east to west—as well as some large ones—got their start as part of BCATP, commonly referred to as “the Plan.” I selected Goderich to fly from because after it was built in Canada in 1942, this plane, #8922, was used to train pilots here at the No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), as part of the BCATP. The same airplane later went to No. 4 EFTS at Windsor Mills, Quebec, an airfield that no longer exists.

Eventually, there were 36 elementary flight schools across Canada, in addition to dozens more devoted to training bombardiers, navigators, and gunners. At least 131,533 Allied pilots and aircrew were trained in Canada under BCATP—the largest of any country participating in the Plan—of which 72,835 were Canadian. The program cost Canada $1.6 billion but employed 104,000 Canadians in air bases across the land. De Havilland produced 1,548 Tiger Moths in Canada, by war’s end, to help stock these flight schools with aircraft.

While training pilots in Canada was safer than in Britain, lives were still lost. From 1942 to 1944, a total of 831 fatal accidents took place, an average of five per week.

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BCATP training was by no means limited to Canada. I’m here at Parafield Airport in Adelaide, Australia, which was home to that country’s No. 1 Elementary Flight Training School and received its first Tiger Moths in April 1940. This particular Tiger Moth, A17-58, was built by de Havilland in Australia in 1940 and apparently still continues to fly. Australia eventually had 12 elementary flight schools (plus a host of other schools) as part of BCATP, which was known there as the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS).

Prior to BCATP, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) only trained about 50 pilots per year. By 1945, more than 37,500 Australian aircrew had been trained in Australia, though many then went to Canada to complete their more advanced training before going into combat. Most Australians in the RAAF went on to fight in the Pacific Theater, though some joined the RAF to fight over Europe. De Havilland built a total of 1,070 Tiger Moths in Australia and even exported a few batches to the U.S. Army Air Forces and the Royal Indian Air Force.

The BCATP was one of the largest aviation training programs in history, providing about half of the airmen who flew for Britain and its dependencies in WWII. The ability to train in safety, away from the combat zone, gave Allied pilots a crucial advantage over the Germans, who typically went into combat with roughly half the training hours of their  counterparts. The program was so important that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who called the U.S. “the arsenal of democracy,” dubbed Canada “the aerodrome of democracy” as a result of its contribution to training Allied airmen—many of them in the Tiger Moth.

Tiger Moths were not only used to train pilots during WWII. Some were deployed for coastal patrols. I’m here at Farnborough, Britain’s former center for experimental aircraft development (southwest of London), to investigate another interesting purpose they served.

No, it’s not a mistake—there’s a reason why there are no pilots visible in either cockpit. This aircraft, LF858, was what was known as a “Queen Bee.” British anti-aircraft gun crews needed practice firing at real targets. But flying an airplane with people shooting at you is, well, rather dangerous. So de Havilland figured out a way to put radio equipment in the rear cockpit that could receive messages for an operator on the ground and work the aircraft’s controls accordingly. In other words, it was the world’s first “drone” aircraft.

Besides being able to fly by remote control, the main difference between a regular Tiger Moth and a Queen Bee is that instead of metal tubing for the fuselage frame, the latter used wood (like for its wings) to save money. The objective wasn’t to shoot down the Tiger Moth—that would be wasteful. Gunners used an offset to hopefully miss, so the airplane could land and be used again. But if they did hit, no pilots were at risk.

About 470 Tiger Moth “Queen Bees” were built during WWII. The term “drone” for a pilotless airplane derives directly from the Queen Bee program and refers to a male bee who flies just once to mate with a queen then dies.

By the end of WWII, nearly 8,700 Tiger Moths had been built, 4,200 of them for the RAF alone. It continued to be used by the RAF for training until it was replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in the 1950s.

The fact that so many people across the British Empire had learned to fly in a Tiger Moth made them immensely popular after the war, among private pilots and enthusiasts. An estimated 250 Tiger Moths are still flying, including this one based out of the small airstrip near Ranfurly on the southern island of New Zealand.

A number of Tiger Moth clubs exist around the world. The late Christopher Reeve, of Superman fame, once joined one of these clubs and learned how to fly the Tiger Moth. Reeve even made a movie about it, which you can find on YouTube. He said it took some time getting used to how slow they approach and land.

Tiger Moths have appeared in several films, often disguised as other biplanes. For instance, the plane in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) was a Tiger Moth, decked out to look like a German Fokker. The silver biplane in The English Patient (1993) was a Tiger Moth (the other, yellow biplane in that movie was a Stearman). It’s worth mentioning that the biplane in Out of Africa (1985) was not a Tiger Moth, but the earlier and very similar Gypsy Moth, also built by de Havilland. Apparently there was even a movie in 1974 called The Sergeant and the Tiger Moth (1974) about a guy and his girlfriend who aren’t even pilots but build and fly one anyway. I have no idea if it’s any good, so please find and watch it for me.

If you’d like to see a version of this story with more historical photos and screenshots, you can check out my original post here. This story was told utilizing Ant’s Airplanes Tiger Moth add-on to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, along with liveries and scenery downloaded for free from the flightsim.to community.

The post Recreating the de Havilland Tiger Moth appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hylio asked for the exemption to help it make drone aerial application economically viable. Under drone rules, a commercial drone has to have a remote pilot and spotter, but the exemption allows the same crew to run as many as three drones at once and spray almost as quickly as a tractor can.

Each drone carries 15 gallons of spray and the downwash from the eight rotors ensures good coverage. Proprietary software allows them to operate autonomously and fly a variety of patterns.

At about $80,000 each, the drones are much less expensive than the large tractors used in industrial farming operations, use a fraction of the energy and don’t compact the soil.

Of course, Hylio is already looking at other uses for the tripled-up drones. As individual aircraft, the drones have been used for everything from seeding wildfire areas to seeding pods with clams for aquatic farmers and are expected to bring similar efficiencies.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.’s (GA-ASI) XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) made its maiden flight last week from Gray Butte Field Airport near Palmdale, California, where it completed several tests.

“OBSS is the first aircraft type built and flown using a common core chassis developed by GA-ASI that promotes commonality across multiple vehicle types,” said Michael Atwood, GA-ASI vice president of advanced programs.

The platform is the second generation of AFRL’s XQ-58A Valkyrie initiative, deploying a foundational core architecture, or “genus” approach, on which other aircraft variants, or “species,” may be rapidly replicated.

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“This approach will help save time and money by leveraging standard substructures and subsystems, similar to how the automotive industry builds a product line,” Doug Meador, autonomous collaborative platform capability lead with AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate, said in a statement. “From there, the genus can be built upon for other aircraft—similar to that of a vehicle frame—with the possibility of adding different aircraft kits to the frame, such as an Off-Board Sensing Station or Off-Board Weapon Station, [or OBWS].”

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It’s an approach that opens the door for faster development, lower costs, and more opportunities to refresh technology, according to Trenton White, OBSS program manager and aerospace engineer with AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate.

“XQ-67A is the first ‘species’ to be designed and built from this shared platform,” White said. “Flight demonstration of this system is a major first step toward showing the ability to produce affordable combat mass.”

The post General Atomics XQ-67A UAV Makes First Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Survey Copter—an Airbus subsidiary— signed a firm order with the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) for 15 onboard systems (30 aircraft) of Aliaca fixed-wing electric UAS, plus associated training and integrated logistics support for the French Navy, the company announced Monday. The company said deliveries of the systems will begin this year and “will be used to equip new ships and ship types, and to enhance their onboard capabilities.”

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The request builds upon a 2020 order of 11 systems and 22 aircraft that have been called the French Navy’s “remote field glasses” due to their ability to provide airborne surveillance, detection, and identification capabilities for high seas patrol boats and surveillance frigates, according to the company.

“We are very honored to participate in the French government’s action at sea and to continue supporting the French Navy in its many missions,” said Christophe Canguilhem, CEO of Survey Copter, in a statement. “This additional order confirms the relationship of trust we have with the DGA and the French Navy, and the quality, efficiency, and reliability of our drones systems at sea.” 

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The order is the latest for Airbus, which late last year announced it was launching a business line dedicated to military drones. In January, Airbus also announced its intent to acquire Aerovel, the manufacturer of the Flexrotor tactical drone. 

The post French Navy Orders Fleet of Small Airbus Maritime Drones appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The drone demonstration from the USS Savannah comes months after the Textron subsidiary was awarded a $19.5 million contract by Naval Air Systems Command Center (NAVAIR) to provide UAS operational support to one Freedom Class and two Independence Class LCS variants.

“The Aerosonde UAS will support the LCS missions of forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence with overwatch and extended intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services with enhanced payloads,” the company said. 

The Aerosonde UAS is a rail-launched, fixed-wing drone designed to provide extended intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services. The 75-pound UAS has a wingspan of about 12 feet, endurance of more than 14 hours, and is equipped with either an electro-optical or infrared full motion video.

The contract marks the fifth class and seventh ship the Aerosonde system supports, Textron said.

“Teaming an uncrewed aircraft system with a crewed ship is a force multiplier for the ship’s existing mission sets, which we’ve seen with our Aerosonde UAS operating from DDG [U.S. Navy Destroyer] and ESB [expeditionary sea base]class ships,” Wayne Prender, senior vice president of air systems at Textron Systems, said in a statement. “The expansion of the Aerosonde system’s services onto the LCS extends the capability of the various mission packages employed by the ship.”

The post Textron Systems Drone Makes First Flight From Navy Littoral Combat Ship appeared first on FLYING Magazine.