Remote Pilot Association

Welcome to drone flying new drone pilots, you have embarked on an exciting journey no matter what type of drone flying you want to do such as, recreational RC park flying, start an aerial photography/videography business, or First Person View (FPV) racing, just to name a few. The world of drone flying in the US is changing dramatically this year with respect to the regulatory scene. In this article we offer 10 tips, mostly flying tips, for new drone pilots.   Source: Gary Rosson, Earth View Drone Imaging The later part of the article we will discuss the regulatory side of the equation. Let’s jump in feet first with the Top 10 Tips: 1. Consider hiring a flight instructor or searching out a mentor  to learn the basics. One of my best customers said upon our first lesson, “I would rather crash your drone than mine.” It took me a minute to get over this barb, but a selling point is a selling point. In all seriousness, in addition to being under the watchful eye of an instructor or...

Here’s a situation we all have had at one point, ordering something online, like a drone for instance, and realizing that it didn’t come with all the accessories needed for an enjoyable experience. It’s back to the computer to order more stuff. The most common scenario is not having but one battery with which to go flying, now that gets under my skin. Good retail outlets suggest up sells that are popular. Some manufacturers have special upgrades, such as the DJI “Fly More” package, that include extra batteries, tablet holders and carrying case. Putting together your own package is doable if you want to save money, just compare the deluxe package to the basic offer. We assembled a list of accessories, not necessarily focused on the camera, but rather ideas on how to make your flight a positive experience.   Batteries and Multi-Battery Charger   As mentioned in the beginning of the article, not having enough batteries is a real bummer. Even if you have a drone that will fly for ...

  For National Drone Safety Awareness Week, November 16 - 22, 2020 It was a dream come true, flying a manned bush aircraft in Alaska. I traveled up via airline in November several years ago, yes I said November, not the height of tourist season. The reason was that the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) was offering one of their stellar Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics (FIRC) and I needed a renewal class. Unfortunately I didn’t have my drone, so I missed the opportunity for some awesome shots.  Source:  choisir-droneaerodrone.fr Although I received a lot of grief from the locals for being there off season it was actually neat because it was an opportunity to meet the locals. One of the folks in the class, Chad, was a local fellow and had met him at a conference in North Carolina a couple of years before. He asked if I had planned on doing some flying while up and I admitted that my contact fell through. Graciously Chad offered to take a friend and myself in ...

Don't get me wrong Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) is a great tool as it allows for much quicker access to air traffic controlled airspace. In the past the process for getting access required submitting a waiver, which could take up to 90 days to process. However, I don’t recommend this for every pilot.  Sadly, according to a Drone XL article only 20 to 30 percent of drone pilots are complying, or using, LAANC according to an Aloft company study, in ATC controlled airspace when they should be using the app. In other words, there are 70 to 80 percent of the drone pilots violating ATC controlled airspace. Source: interdrone, LAANC example What is LAANC and how does it work? As you know, airspace that is controlled by Air Traffic Control (ATC), Class B, C, D and sometimes surface based E airspace requires ATC approval. Approvals in the past were not efficient thus a new system called LAANC was developed to give drone pilots quicker and more extensive acc...