This is a free educational presentation based on real-world experience and not a sales presentation for anything. There is nothing for sale and nothing to be purchased. Thermal cameras have a mysterious reputation for being able to find all sorts of missing people and give us a magic eye-in-the-sky. But do they really? In this class, we take a deep ... Read More »
Public Safety Drone Training
Public Safety UAS Visual Observer – Train the Trainer
This is a free educational presentation based on real-world experience and not a sales presentation for anything. There is nothing for sale and nothing to be purchased. To discover all of the upcoming free public safety webinars. click here. This class is designed for individuals that may have to conduct the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Visual Observer (VO) training at ... Read More »
What You Need to Know About Public Safety UAS COA and PAO Operations Before or After You Start Your Program
Flying a public safety operation under a COA is all the rage. So many departments are jumping into public safety flight going down the COA or Public Aircraft Operation route. Some elect to pursue this after a consultant helps them with this approach. Others are told by manufacturer sales representatives this is the best route to take. Some departments decide ... Read More »
Garage Structure Fire – Public Safety UAS Flight Debrief with Lessons Learned
Wake Forest Fire Department Firebird 1 Flight Debrief Incident: Garage Structure Fire Location: Wake Forest Flight Time: 30 minutes Mission Goals: Since this was a joint department event and Northern Wake was in command the goal became to use the incident as a data gathering flight and be ready to provide any information Northern Wake Command may need. What Went ... Read More »
When the Manned Aircraft System (MAS) is the Right Tool Instead of the UAS
There is no doubt the public safety Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) can be a very helpful tool for law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency management to use. It occurred to me not that long ago while I was waiting for several hours for a UAS map to process, that it was actually something I could have captured and delivered ... Read More »
Commercial Structure Fire Thermal | Flight Debrief and Lessons Learned
Wake Forest Fire Department Firebird 1 Flight Debrief Incident: Commercial Structure Fire Location: Chili’s Flight Time: 60 minutes Mission Goals: To assist with commercial structure fire by checking the roof of the building to determine any thermal activity as the result of the fire. What Went Well: The following items were conducted without incident: It was a safe flight operation ... Read More »
What You Need to Know About Getting Your Handheld Aviation Radio License
Drone pilots should have an aviation handheld radio to communicate with nearby aircraft, transmit blind announcements about operations near an uncontrolled airport, and most importantly, to communicate with helicopters flying above incident scenes. I regularly communicate with news helicopters when they are on the scene to coordinate the airspace and provide an awareness I’m operating below them. You can be ... Read More »
Pilot Incident Reports – It Happens to All of Us
Nobody is perfect. Even very experienced pilots face issues all the time. The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is a good window into issues that happen. Reporting aviation issues to the ASRS portal is also a good way to reduce liability since voluntary gives you some immunity from prosecution and “although a finding of violation may be made, neither ... Read More »
Upcoming Class on Using Thermal Cameras on Public Safety Drones
To see all of the upcoming free online classes, click here. I’ve got a free online class coming up on the use of thermal cameras on UAS. The goal of the class is to help public safety drone pilots become knowledgeable about when and why to fly a thermal camera. The class is on February 27, 2019, at 3 PM ... Read More »
Free Webinar – UAS Visual Observer – Train the Trainer
To see all of the upcoming free online classes, click here. This class is designed for individuals that may have to conduct Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Visual Observer (VO) training at their agency and department. It will give you an overview of what will need to be covered in the class you develop and how this can be a simple ... Read More »