The personal model aircraft (PMA) drones were one of the most popular gifts this past holiday season. The drones give the pilot lots of capabilities and possibilities, which include photo and video recording. Thus, as airmen and sailors alike at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) are indulging in the thrill of flight, they now have a new set of rules to abide by.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Puts a Drone Policy in Place

Scroll down for video

This newly enacted policy, which was originally outlined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and signed locally by JBPHH commander Capt. Stanley Keeve Jr., became effective on May 5. The policy includes new regulations outlining the dos and don’ts of personal model aircraft usage, including the following:

• PMA must be flown at altitudes below 400 ft above ground level and should remain clear of surrounding obstacles
• Must be electric or gas powered and constructed primarily of lightweight materials (e.g., plastic, wood, canvas, paper, or foam)
• Must not weigh in excess of 55 pounds (25 kg)
• Must be operated during daylight hours
• Must be flown in approved areas/locations that do not interfere with the operations, safety or security of personnel, facilities, and/or resources
• Must be operated in a manner that gives way to and does not interfere with any manned or unmanned aircraft operations
• Must not be flown within five statute miles (4.4 nautical miles) of the airfield without prior notification to the airfield control tower
• PMA cannot be flown for payment or commercial purposes
• PMA cannot be outfitted with any type of audio or visual recording devices
• Cannot be used in conditions where wind exceeds 15 knots (17 mph)
• Use is prohibited during force condition protection (FPCON) Bravo or higher

Irrespective of status—this includes all service members—any violators may be subjected to federal punishment, including imprisonment, for violating the rules defined by the policy. “The policy was established in response to the growing popularity of PMAs and several events, not necessarily within our command, that have happened,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jeremy Isaac, Headquarters PACAF/A4S Security Forces operations superintendent. “Not only does the policy prevent potential flight safety hazards, it helps us maintain security of our resources, given the recording capability of most current PMAs.” He advised drone users to adhere keenly to the instructions and rules. A case in mind, for instance, happened at a popular chain-restaurant, in New York, where a “mobile mistletoe” drone was made to hover near diners, which ended up crashing into a photographer’s face and slicing her nose open. Apart from the risk during personal use, drones are threats to air traffic if it flies near the path of an airliner. In July 2015, this probable scenario almost became reality when an Airbus A320 aircraft avoided a drone flying at an altitude of 700 ft at London Heathrow Airport. According to Isaac, the policy is extremely beneficial for JBPHH and aircraft flying in and out of Honolulu International Airport. The policy ensures flight safety of JBPHH assets and personnel and maintains an unparalleled force protection posture. “As long as our base residents follow the guidance, there should not be any issue,” he said. “I would encourage drone hobbyists and enthusiasts to do their homework and familiarize themselves with FAA guidance as well as local operating instructions to ensure that they operate them in a safe and enjoyable manner.”    

Watch the video below

Drone user Robert Ross had been enjoying his drone for less than 30 days when he lost control of it. His miniature drone which was a Christmas gift from his wife, caught an air current on the North Side and took off. “I was flying my drone at Jonquil Playlot Park,” he recounted in a lost-and-found ad on Craigslist.  “It got caught up in the jet stream and blew away. It flew in the air west of the park, toward the Starbucks at Wrightwood and Racine.”

Scroll down for video

Alarming Increase of Drone Flyaways

This was the second ad on Craigslist in recent days to feature lost drones in Chicago. A man was warned by the FAA after he flew a drone over the Lollapalooza music festival and he uploaded 2 videos taken by the drone on YouTube. FAA officials explained that flying a drone over a crowd is very dangerous and it was careless and reckless of the man. “We call them flyaways,’’ said Ryan Twose, organizer of the Chicago Area Drone User Group. Twose said it’s hard to say how many drones have strayed in the Chicago area or what damage they might have caused.  He assumes the number of errant drones has been climbing along with sales as prices have fallen and features have improved. “If you increase the number of users, of course there might be a higher number of flyaways,’’ Twose said, but added, “No person that I know of has ever been hurt by one falling on them.” A falling drone can pack quite a punch, according to Bill Stockwell, who teaches classes at McHenry County Community College on the proper use of drones and other “unmanned aerial systems.” Most private drones weigh about 2.2 pounds, Stockwell said. “With no wind resistance, that’s roughly 939 pounds of force if it fell straight down from 400 feet. “There’s just too many people that just have no idea what they’re doing flying with their cool cameras,’’ he said.  “I fly a competitive 7-foot helicopter that goes about 140 mph. If it was flying at 400 feet, which is legal, it would hit the ground with 2,200 pounds of force. Can you imagine what that would feel like?” In May 2014, a Phantom 2 made by DJI crashed into the 30th floor of St Louis’s Metropolitan Square building the tallest building in Chicago. Many top of the line drones come with six propellers usually made with carbon fiber alongside stabilizers and cameras that can be used to record and stream HD video. Prices start at $30 and could go all the way up to above $2000. Almost all drones can take pictures and videos. The popularity of drones has skyrocketed and in lieu of this, the FAA has created a public awareness campaign advocating amateur drone operators to pay close attention to safety and avoid flying too close to planes, objects and buildings. Drone owners have also been advised not to fly drones while being drunk. Twose advises “drone hobbyists” to stay close to their drones. “Remain within the line of sight — under 400 feet — and check in with your local city or town to make sure you can operate them,’’ said Twose, noting that some towns on the North Shore prohibit drone use.  Generally, private drones fall under the same guidelines as model aircraft. Twose said users can buy a “return to home feature” that would program the drone to automatically go back to where it had taken off. “There are also Bluetooth devices that can help locate a drone within 100 yards away,” Twose said. “Flyaways can happen,” he said. “I recommend you put your name, address and phone number on your drones and if anyone finds it, they can get it back to you.”

Robert Ross doesn’t thinks he can find his drone which is a black Hubsan X4 RC model. He said he was enjoying his drone at the Jonquil Playlot Park at 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave. when the drone got away from him. “It was a windy day,” Ross said. “I couldn’t corral it back, and it’s getting higher and higher, and then I can barely see it.” Ross said he began sprinting as it flew west.  “I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s flying right by the house.’” He ran two or three blocks, then slowed to a walk.  He spent about an hour looking for it but then gave up and decided to place an ad in Craigslist. No one had called as of Thursday morning. He even placed a text file on the drone’s chip: “If Found, Please Return to Robert Ross.” Ross said he was never into remote-control toys as a kid, but then he saw a “60 Minutes” segment about drones.  “It was Morley Safer, but they had the top-of-the-line (drone) and I watched it and I thought, ‘Wow, this is really cool.’” After “thinking about it forever,’’ he and his wife, Lauren, spotted someone flying a drone in Maggie Daley Park in early December. “My wife got it for me for Christmas,’’ Ross said. “It was only $60 on Amazon.’’ The drone did not have a built-in GPS or live camera. Ross said he got so hooked, he’s already gotten another one.  “It’s just really fun,” he said. Ross said he likes to use the drone to film himself and his wife in the park.  He also does practice runs in his condo “to see if I can get it down hallways.” “I never spy on anybody,” he said.  “I’ve taken some funny videos.  I’m looking forward to taking it outside Wrigley Field.”    

Watch the video below

The new drone advisory panel set up by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is to be led by Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO, to guide it on the incorporated of unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace. The committee’s formation could be linked to plans by the FAA to nail down much-awaited rules and regulations for the commercial operation of drones, which will probably make way for the widely circulated use of the airborne devices for deliveries and other applications by companies like Google and Amazon.com.

Intel CEO to Lead New Drone Advisory Panel

Scroll down for video

“By late spring, we plan to finalize Part 107, our small UAS rule, which will allow for routine commercial drone operations,” FAA administrator Michael Huerta said in a speech at a drone event. Huerta also mentioned in January that the rules and regulations would be perfected at the end of spring, but there has been doubt about the truth as the process has suffered delays including escaping a September deadline mandated by the Congress. The new drone advisory panel members will include representatives from a wide range of organizations with interests in drones, including operators and manufacturers, pilots, application service providers, the FAA, NASA, representatives of manned aviation, and the Department of Defense. The final selection of drone advisory panel members by the FAA is expected to be done latest by May 31, said the agency. The designated federal official on the committee will be Huerta. He will be there as a representative as well as mouthpiece for the government. By the time the FAA drone advisory committee becomes operational, issues affecting owning, usage, and other regulations will be set. The panel of committee’s decision will finally pay off, if the policy and conditions arrived at are not too strict for commercial intended users. Favorable conditions and rules concerning drone flying will generate more funds into the government purse. Unlike the UAS registration task force, which came up with recommendations for the registration of UAS devices, and the micro UAS aviation rule-making committee set up recently by the FAA for a single function and fixed duration, this newly set up drone advisory panel is aimed to be a long-existing group that will basically serve the same function as the FAA’s NextGen Advisory Committee, says Huerta. The FAA had a proposed law for drones in February last year, which would likely allow programs similar to that of Amazon for the delivery of commercial packages by drones to commence. But the commercially designed drones would still function under strict atmosphere such as a maximum weight of 55 pounds (25 kilograms), maximum of 500 feet (152 meters) flight altitude, and conditions that fix flights to daylight operations and the visual line-of-sight of the operators. Some companies have been pushing for more lenient rules especially that on the line-of-sight demand. Last month, the Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2016, which, while acknowledging the opportunities for the extensive use of drones for commercial purposes, desires to impose safety rules and technologies like geo-fencing to check the reckless use of consumer drones by hobbyists. Although still awaiting the approval of the House of Representatives, this legislation also tries to avoid a “patchwork quilt” of rules by states and local authorities by giving the FAA rules the right to purchase over local and state laws regulating the use of drones.    

Watch the video below

In the past years, drones used to be very expensive gadgets. They were bulky and expensive to make and therefore were harder to come by. In recent times, however, they have become really popular. Along with its more widespread use, it has also become more affordable for many people. Now, not only commercial companies and professional drone operators can acquire them, but they can also be availed of by ordinary people like you and me even for purely recreational purposes. 

If you’re interested in flying your own drone, it’s wise to also invest in a tracking device. A drone is an important investment, and so you must protect your investment by getting a gadget that can help you monitor its location in case you lose it. The following is a list of excellent GPS trackers for first-time drone owners.

3. Find the Drone

This is a device that’s perfect for newbies because of its user-friendly features. It has a unique ready-to-go system that enables you to reach out to your device via a 2G network. Aside from this, it has all the basic features you’d expect in a tracker, like real-time tracking, geofencing, location history, and speed and motion alerts. It has a long-lasting battery, which makes it perfect for hours-long flights. Another appealing feature is its low monthly rates. However, one disadvantage is that it doesn’t work worldwide. So this might not be a good choice if you’re a travel vlogger who wants to record panoramic scenes of your trips.

2.  Americaloc GL300W

This device is known to be one of those with the longest-lasting batteries on the market. This makes it the perfect tool for those times when you want to record your surroundings for hours. Like Find the Drone, it has all the basic GPS tracker features like real-time tracking, alerts, geofencing, and even an SOS button. An additional feature is an app that you can download and access on your smartphone. It also has 3G, which means that you’ll always steady and reliable connection.

1. Trackimo 3G GPS Universal Tracker

This device is so named because it is such a versatile device that it can be used for many purposes. And as a drone tracker, it does what it is required to do perfectly well. Aside from having the basic features like real-time tracking, geofencing, and the like, it also boasts a lot of advantages that are not found in other devices. For instance, it has an audio monitoring mode, which allows you to listen into the immediate surroundings of the device. It also sends out speed and motion alerts, which allows you to be alerted not only when your device has left pre-set boundaries but also when it has started moving or exceeded a pre-set speed limit.

The Trackimo Universal Tracker is also known to have one of the best-performing batteries on the market. It also works worldwide, so this is perfect to bring along with you on your travels abroad. For both beginners and experts alike, one of its most appealing features is its low monthly service rate, at just $8.88.