A United States Air Force target training drone surprised beachgoers last week when it washed up on a Florida beach. The aerial target drone is a part of the US Air Force’s weapons system evaluation program and was quickly picked up by the Air Force after being alerted to it.
Expand Expanding Close
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida was able to locate a fleeing suspect with the help of its drone in the air watching over him until officers were able to get to him and take him into custody. The man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill, with another charge in a neighboring county.
Expand Expanding Close
Maybe it’s the lack of tourists. Maybe it’s the cooler weather. It’s not clear what brought them all together. But last week, a photographer in St. Petersburg, Florida, captured the unusual sight of hundreds of manatees chilling with dolphins.
Expand Expanding Close
FBI Tampa has shared online that an Orlando man has been charged for allegedly flying his drone in restricted airspace set up for Super Bowl LV, according to a newly filed criminal complaint. If convicted, Henry Alejandro Jimenez could face up to one year in federal prison.
Expand Expanding Close
West Palm Beach Lakes High School, Florida, has just received a massive boost to its drone program after FPL donated $20,000 in drones and will offer drone classes to the students. The new program is expected to launch during the 2021-2022 school year.
Expand Expanding Close
Florida could see an increase in the number of police and government drones flying around under a new bill approved by a Senate committee. The bill will allow the related agencies to use drones for limited uses, including traffic management and natural disaster response.
Expand Expanding Close
A pilot faces a year in federal prison for flying a drone during Super Bowl week. One year in prison for flying a drone in a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) or No Drone Zone? It is becoming clear that the FBI and the FAA are done issuing warnings and are starting to show their teeth, as they said they would about a week ago.
Ahead of Super Bowl LIV, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is done warning and confiscates drones from operators who violate the temporary flight restrictions (TFR) around the Super Bowl venues in Miami.
A police drone captured a crack cocaine deal live from 3,100 feet in the air in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The drone footage was approved beforehand by a judge, and it marks the first time that the Miami-Dade Police have used an unmanned aerial vehicle to get real-time evidence in a criminal investigation.
Florida Power and Light use a DJI Phantom 4 drone for powerline maintenance and repairs as the unmanned aircraft can provide a 360-degree view that is difficult to achieve otherwise. “Drones offer a huge advantage,” according to the utility’s technology manager, Eric Schwartz.
In recent years LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology has played a crucial role in discovering ancient settlements and mapping historic sites around the world. In this most recent story, The Guardian reports that LIDAR-equipped drones reveal an ancient settlement off the coast of Florida. The archaeological findings and remains date from 900 to 1200 CE.
Earlier today, DJI sent out this message to all rescue and recovery drone operators urging them to get ready and prepare now for post-storm operations. In the same statement, the Chinese drone maker warns all other drone pilots to follow the FAA guidance and to not fly in affected areas. You do not want to be that person that is responsible for halting a rescue operation, because you thought it was a good idea to get some aerial footage of the aftermath of Hurrican Dorian. Drone pilots who interfere with emergency response could face fines as high as $20,000.
Miami Police invited a counter-drone company during the Ultra Music Festival to keep the skies free of drones, but in doing so they may have violated federal law according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Last weekend, drone pilot Pablo Chacon posted this video to YouTube in which he claims to have made the longest drone flight ever. Pablo flew his unmodified DJI Mavic 2 Pro for more than 22 miles over a busy road in Florida. Is this, as he claims, indeed the longest, continuous flight ever with a standard DJI Mavic 2 Pro? Maybe, but one thing is for sure, it is not the safest flight ever. Not by a long shot.
Check out this near-miss drone video that was just posted on YouTube yesterday. It shows you how a helicopter can quickly appear out of nowhere and come at you fast. All of a sudden, your leisure drone-flight along the Hollywood Beach, FL coastline, could potentially cause a tragic accident, guaranteed to make the headlines throughout the country. Luckily this one ended well, but it shows you how careful we all have to be when flying our drones in a congested airspace.
Last weekend in South Beach Florida, Kenny Melendez, who flies drones professionally, was flying his drone when he spotted a large shadow in the water right next to a swimmer. He flew the drone towards it to get a better shot of the large shark, which he believes to have been a tiger shark, very close to the shore and the swimmers.