Should you perform hand catching of drones? Are there practical benefits to it? Or does hand catching just amount to inviting unwarranted injuries? Hand catching a drone - You've possibly seen pilots doing this or seen a social media post of a horrific injury while performing the act but is hand catching really required? Should pilots follow them or is it an unsafe practice that should be avoided? Today, we answer everything we know about hand catching a drone and we would like to thank Tom who's question today is all about hand catching and if there are any benefits to performing them? Today's question is brought to you by the PROPS program, a program specifically designed, and caters to the needs of groups of pilots. It is ideally meant for team of pilots, and organizations that want multiple pilots to progress through their learning curve together. Props allows teams to monitor progress, manage and document learning and ensure a larger audience are progressing together. We start ...
When approached by a government official claiming that I am flying illegally how do I explain myself? What precautions should I be taking to address such scenarios? Today's podcasts is flight regulations and airspace approvals. Our question for today is from Frank who was questioned by a government employee who claimed Frank was flying illegally around a lake and dam. Frank had used all FAA's tools and ensured he was well within the law but Frank would like to know how pilots can address such scenarios and what are the best practices for Pilots to follow to stay within legal requirements of drone flights. We answer Frank's question by first addressing the ambiguity of whether drone regulations can be enforced by local governing bodies and what current Drone laws state. A strong emphasis in our response is on the recent status of drone regulations across the US and how laws are being enforced. We discuss the role of local agencies and responsibilities that Drone pilots should be awar...
Can you share key learnings from Drone U Experience Training? Today's podcasts is all about the recently concluded Drone U's Experience training and we share all the highlights, learnings and our experience from the training. We start off by sharing top insights from the training focusing first on the location, the team and the environment and discussing how the natural set up of the location helped students hone their skills in flight control. We also discuss key highlights from student experience on the training and how Scott, one of our students at the training, was able to constantly improve his learning navigating through all the challenges day in and out and how constant presence of instructors assisted him in clearing and clarifying his questions. Next we discuss important topics that came up during the Experience training including DJI's product line up and how newer drones are actually doing less to improve flight performance but priced much higher than their predecessors w...
What are NFTs? Are they worth exploring to a drone pilot? Today's question is from Tom who is looking to learn all about the latest sensation in the crypto world, Non Fungible Tokens or commonly known as NFTs. Tom would like to know about them and how one can get started with creating and selling NFTs We start today's episode by jumping straight into what NFTs are all about and what it means to drone pilots and other users alike. We discuss common pitfalls of the technology while also going over marketplaces to create and sell NFTs along with discussion on the inherent value of NFTs and if they mean anything to the end user. We also discuss new market offerings from marketplaces and companies such as Coinbase and talk about future of NFTs. Tune in to learn more about NFTs and what value they hold for you. Get Your Biggest and Most Common Drone Certificate Questions Answered by Downloading this FREE Part 107 PDF Make sure to get yourself the all-newDrone U landing pad! Get your quest...
With multiple software packages available in the drone industry, how do pilots decide on using one? Today's question is from Felipe on how pilots can choose a particular software, considering there are many options available for a single application in the drone industry. Pilots today are spoilt for choices on using drone software for a particular application leading to complex purchasing decisions and the follow up learning curve with these softwares for related business deliveries. We address this very important question for pilots today, going over the many softwares that are available and how you can choose one over the other. We start off today's episode introducing Drone U's mindmap for navigating the drone industry landscape giving pilots a clear career path to pursue as they progress through their development. The mindmap has been shared on the Drone U community and we are sharing the map for our podcast viewers. We then briefly discuss how the combination of flight skills, ...
What do we know of the Inspire 3 launch? What spec and features can we expect? Today's question is from Marshall who has 2 questions for us - He would like to know what we know about the Inspire 3 and why we are moving our HQ to Colorado. We start of today's episode by answering Marshall's question on our move, from New Mexico to Colorado, and highlight our rationale to do so. We discuss what we intend to have and how these will help future drone pilots taking Drone U courses. We also highlight how the drone industry is poised for growth and how we wanted to be at the centre of it. Tune in to hear more details on our move, the search for a suitable home and all that Drone U has planned for the future. We then delve into Inspire 3 launch rumours and how these have peaked in recent times with DJI launching a slew of drones in the recent past and the need for pushing new features and technology advancement in the market. We talk of expected features such as specifications, camera featu...
Washington State announces legislation on certified pilots having to register their drone with the state? Is it legal? How should pilots react? Today's question is from Laska, about Washinton State's new legislation requiring certified part 107 drone pilots to register drones with the state. She would like to know how to deal with this legislation and what pilots should make of it. Today's podcast directly addresses the frequent state vs federal legislation situation that pilots have faced ever so often. Is Washington state's legislation on drone registration relevant for drone pilots considering all of drone regulation is covered federally through the FAA? We address common questions around this topic - should pilots expect other states to follow Washington state in this new legislation? Should state attempt to generate revenue from such legislation ? possible reaction from drone advocacy groups, and how we as drone pilots can stay up-to-date on drone laws using Drone U's drone adv...
Where can I find Inspire 1 batteries and how can I assess their performance? Today's question is from Jonathan, who has recently purchased a used Inspire 1 along with accessories and batteries but is finding the batteries being unable to hold their charge during flights and would like to know where one can find Inspire 1 batteries and how one can assess them. We first answer Jonathan's question if the Inspire 1 batteries he possesses have any life left in them. We then talk where he can find Inspire 1 batteries and if 9 marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay are worth utilizing for purchasing an Inspire 1 battery. We delve into 2 important aspects of drone batteries that pilots need to know about and share the hack of rental services that allow pilots to rent batteries prior to purchasing them thereby allowing pilots to validate and check a battery before spending $$ on them. Watch this short and quick podcast covering important aspects of drone batteries that will help you avoid the anx...
What are the best practices to put together Isotopes' Cinewhoop shots? How can pilots plan such shots? Today's question is from Tom, who wants to know how pilots can put together Cinewhoop shots and what goes into planning and execution of such shots. We are fortunate to have performed a Cinewhoop production video for a local baseball club Isoptoes and happy to answer Tom's question today straight from our hands-on experience of performing a shoot. We start our response by highlighting GoPro's latest camera with superior stabilization than its predecessor models and how it has been designed for Cinewhoop videos. We then delve directly into Tom's question by first talking about what cinewhoop entails and the legalities around such shots. We discuss how pilots need to plan flight plans and equipment for a perfect shot and this is critical in the overall success for a production shot. We then delve into specifics of how Paul landed a Cinewhoop project for Isoptopes, a local baseball cl...
New Updates to drone manufacturer list, Iris automation new ground base system, BlackSwift technologies ground water density measurement system, will we have F1 races in the sky? In our latest episode of the Drone Life News show, we cover all the latest news in the drone industry and bring you the hottest updates from regulations to new drone tech to air mobility. In our first news segment of the drone life news, we discuss all the latest news in the approved manufacturer list starting with Florida's approved manufacturer list and the confusion the list has caused along with discussing the results of an agency survey on manufacturers they use and the problems that the agencies would face with the new list. In our next segment we discuss all about Iris Automation announcement of its ground-based detect and avoid (DAA) surveillance solution, Casia G, that will be made commercially available. We discuss how the Casia G utilizing the same AI and computer vision technology as other Iris ...