Steve Rhode

The Public Safety Flight website is dedicated to news, honest information, tips, and stories about the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), UAVs, aircraft, and drones in the fire service and other public safety niches. The site was founded by Steve Rhode, an FAA-certificated airplane commercial and instrument certificated pilot and a very experienced Part 107 UAS commercial pilot. Steve is the Chief Pilot with the Wake Forest Fire Department and the North Carolina Public Safety Drone Academy. He also provides expert advice to drone pilots through Homeland Security Information Network and he is an FAA Safety Team drone expert. Steve loves to work closely with public safety pilots to answer questions and share information, real-world truth, and drone operation advice. You can contact Steve here, learn more about Steve here, or join his public safety pilot private email list here.

Let’s Look at Logbook Programs for UAS Pilots

October 14, 2014 by Steve Rhode

If you are not a licensed pilot you might be unfamiliar with the importance of keeping a detailed record of all your flight experience. Maintaining a logbook of time, flights, and missions is going to be critical for UAS pilots in the future to document experience. As a FAA pilot the act of recording my … Read more

FAA Ground School and Pilot License Requirements for UAS Pilots

November 18, 2021October 6, 2014 by Steve Rhode

Authority for a public safety agency to utilize a Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is right now a complex affair. Not only do agencies require a difficult FAA authorization to fly a Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) under a FAA Certificate of Authorization the pilot qualifications are defined and have strict limitations. To fly professionally as a … Read more

The Role of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Fire Service and EMS and What it Takes to be a Good Pilot

March 10, 2021October 3, 2014 by Steve Rhode

The age of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones as some people call them, is upon us. While both Amazon and Google have announced plans to use these unmanned vehicles for commercial delivery services, there some dramatic and incredibly beneficial uses of these unmanned aircraft in public safety fields outside of … Read more