By John Meehan, FAA Safety Outreach Branch As drone operators, are we screen-watching camera operators, or are we pilots? The FAA says we’re pilots, which means we have a responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft (and persons and property on the ground). Seeing and avoiding air traffic is our responsibility when operating drones. Studies … Read more
I asked Captain Moffatte from the Wake Forest Fire Department to read and review the information on starting a COA flight program using his fresh eyes. Captain Moffatte is responsible for managing multiple programs and is uniquely qualified to understand complex requirements, planning, managing data, and reporting for compliance. To date, he has not been … Read more
I stumbled across this video of a DJI Mini 2 pilot that lost control of his aircraft despite having 20+ satellites, no wind, and full signal. The pilot said, “I went up to 120 meters and then it starts flying sideways. Warning saying Max power load reached. Code 30168.” Lesson Learned: Your drone can operate … Read more
DJI has announced a new firmware update for the M300. One item caught my eye since it can assist pilots with part of their preflight responsibilities as described in Appendix E of AC 107-2A. In particular, is item four that states the pilot must “Verify all the manufacturer-required components that make up the small UAS … Read more
This recent report submitted to me through ReportDroneAccident.com is alarming because at a glance, the drone appeared to be operating within normal limits and safe to fly. It wasn’t until the pilot’s spidey sense kicked in that he realized something was not right. As he said in his submission “The battery level showed 96% which … Read more
I recently wrote about the decision to no longer fly the DJI matrice drone. You can read that post here. In public safety UAS flying, we are entering a unique period of a lack of clarity for the first time in the field as drone manufacturers drop development and support for the aircraft we fly. … Read more
None of the drones being sold today have passed any sort of FAA safety test and proven themselves to be safe to fly. They are not even built to approved aeronautical standards. So we do we continue to spend so much money on these drones? What if Your Drone Was Disposible? Instead of spending thousands … Read more
At the fire department, we’ve had safety concerns with the status of our DJI Matrice drone, considering that DJI refused to evaluate the drone and confirm it was in a condition that was safe to fly. You can read the backstory on my personal adventure here. No Good Answer But flash forward to last week … Read more
I recently wrote about the police drone collision in Canada where the drone struck a Cessna 172 causing damage to the propeller, engine, and cowling. But that turns out to not be the first or only such occurrence. At the end of 2020, a Cessna 182 Turbo struck a drone at 1,800 feet MSL in … Read more
A friend at the FAA forwarded me a document that applies to all public safety drone operations that fly under a COA as a public aircraft operation. While the guidance was issued a while ago, it is the guidance specifically related to public aircraft operations and that sucks in drones. Unless someone can find an … Read more