Mr. Mike Cardenas (left) and Dr. David J Hemmert with FIZUAS demonstrating capabilities of drones.
On May 21, 2019 the ASSP South Plains Chapter welcomed Dr. David Hemmert, Mike Cardenas and Jake Martinez with FIZUAS Lubbock. FIZUAS is one of the industry leading experts of small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) products, sensors, and accessories.
The cost of the lunch for all attendees was provided by FIZUAS – so a big thanks goes out to the entire FIZUAS team for their support of our Chapter!
The discussion and presentation centered on industrial inspection in the electrical and energy industry, but also discussed applications in emergency management and in safety for confined space entry. Being able to evaluate and diagnose problems remotely by the use of drones is and will continue to be a major advance in the safety profession.
A question was asked about becoming a drone pilot.
Drone pilots flying for hobby/recreational purposes
do not need a license to operate, however if you want to fly for commercial purposes, you must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate under FAA’s Small UAS Rule (Part 107), called a 107 license, see this link for more information.
- For more information on rules and regulations for your type of drone, check out the website at https://www.faa.gov/uas/
The following are some Drone Safety Tips discussed:
- Registering your drone
- Fly your drone at or below 400 feet
- Keep your drone within your line of sight
- Be aware of FAA Airspace Restrictions
- Respect privacy
- Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports (within 5 miles without notification of air traffic control tower).
- Never fly over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full of people
- Never fly near emergencies such as fires or hurricane recovery efforts
- Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol
At the conclusion of their presentation FIZUAS provided examples of several units including the little Mavic drone. All of the drones can also be fixed with thermal imaging cameras, speakers, spotlights and beacons. Some of the larger drones can carry packages.
For Ag operations drones can be fitted with the Sentera cameras as they can capture crop data including indicators of chlorophyll in crop. Lots of options for drones, and excellent tool for the safety professional’s toolbox.
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On behalf of the South Plains Chapter ASSP, we would like to thank Chris Camelio and all of the FIZ UAS staff for their excellent presentation and for providing lunch for our members and guests. For more information on FIZUAS, drones or if you would like Drone pilot training contact them at (877) 659-6359 FIZUAS@fizuas.com