Hello from Lake Effect area snowbound northern NY State. I just got my first drone this week, a DJI Mini 5 Pro. Kind of surprised I could get it so soon, now that it after the 23 Dec restrictions are in place.
I spent my early days as an Air Force senior instructor navigator for 9 years (call me an obsolete dinosaur these days), then became a civilian AF research laboratory engineer until retirement.
My son is a USAF graduate, now a retired F-16 instructor pilot. He was hired by a civilian airline just before Covid struck and decided to begin what became a very successful drone business to keep a few dollars flowing in during the virtual shutdown. Unfortunately, he lives 1500+ miles away in TX. He is back to full time airline flight duty now. But he can still help me from afar as I study for my Part 107 exam. My state offers a free 2-day preparation course for first responders (I am a SAR volunteer) that I am in at the end of January. I assume the local area exam will be offered soon after. I am now in the process of heavy Youtube online study.
I am an elected board of directors member of a small lake association where we are very concerned about conditions of increasingly heavy vegetation growth in the lake and associated regulated wetlands. A friend of a friend obtained drone overflight video images a few years ago and we need another for comparison and more complete coverage. So, I decided I would be the one to perform that task for our Association. After obtaining suficient operational experince with the mini, I expect to grow into multispectral and IR capability with a more advanced level of UAS.
Two other items draw me into further exploration of owning my own commercial level drone. As a long time (30 years) Search and Rescue volunteer with a local team, I am very familiar with Adirondack and other area Forest Rangers in the state, (who manage all wilderness SAR incidents) and that they in recent times have incorporated UAS into SAR incidents. Can I help? Perhaps.
In addition, my new local village chief of police was more than partially responsible for introducing the state police to UAS technology before he retired from the force. He is also working to incorporate UAS activity into local police work. I have made him aware of myself through SAR and personal contact. Can I help? Perhaps.
I spent my early days as an Air Force senior instructor navigator for 9 years (call me an obsolete dinosaur these days), then became a civilian AF research laboratory engineer until retirement.
My son is a USAF graduate, now a retired F-16 instructor pilot. He was hired by a civilian airline just before Covid struck and decided to begin what became a very successful drone business to keep a few dollars flowing in during the virtual shutdown. Unfortunately, he lives 1500+ miles away in TX. He is back to full time airline flight duty now. But he can still help me from afar as I study for my Part 107 exam. My state offers a free 2-day preparation course for first responders (I am a SAR volunteer) that I am in at the end of January. I assume the local area exam will be offered soon after. I am now in the process of heavy Youtube online study.
I am an elected board of directors member of a small lake association where we are very concerned about conditions of increasingly heavy vegetation growth in the lake and associated regulated wetlands. A friend of a friend obtained drone overflight video images a few years ago and we need another for comparison and more complete coverage. So, I decided I would be the one to perform that task for our Association. After obtaining suficient operational experince with the mini, I expect to grow into multispectral and IR capability with a more advanced level of UAS.
Two other items draw me into further exploration of owning my own commercial level drone. As a long time (30 years) Search and Rescue volunteer with a local team, I am very familiar with Adirondack and other area Forest Rangers in the state, (who manage all wilderness SAR incidents) and that they in recent times have incorporated UAS into SAR incidents. Can I help? Perhaps.
In addition, my new local village chief of police was more than partially responsible for introducing the state police to UAS technology before he retired from the force. He is also working to incorporate UAS activity into local police work. I have made him aware of myself through SAR and personal contact. Can I help? Perhaps.
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