This holiday season, the number one gift under the tree is going to be a multirotor: large and small, for children young and old. This is a sure sign that our passion for this technology is going mainstream. In the long term, this is great news: the more people who have first-hand experience with these systems, the easier it becomes for us to argue for their safe, beneficial and non-intrusive use in society.
However, in the short term, it means that a quarter of a million novice pilots are about to take to the skies. Here at the Roswell Flight Test Crew, as enthusiasts and proponents for this technology, we feel that we owe it to them — and to ourselves, and to the future of this industry — to do everything we can to help them get started on the right foot.
Therefore, we are launching “Drone for the Holidays,” and we’re hoping that you will join us to offer these new multirotor pilots in your own community a few hours of orientation and basic training.
The goal is a nationwide effort, set to occur on Saturday, January 3, 2015. Whether you’re a local Academy of Model Aeronautics flying club or Drone User Group Network chapter, we hope that you’ll join us to make this project a success.
To sign up to participate, follow this link.
QUESTIONS? Contact the Roswell Flight Test crew holidaydrones@roswellflighttestcrew.com
Why should this \\\”education\\\” be our responsibility??? OH – that\\\’s right. Because the AMA wants to embrace these spycraft without wearing any of the ill-smelling aura that they\\\’re CERTAINLY going to eventually bring to the national spotlight.
WHY is it OUR responsibility to educate these new multi-rotor owners? For 75 years we haven’t had a responsibility to husband budding airplane and Heli pilots. Of course, since the “air” craft are such potential revenue generators for AMA an Hobby shops, we’re supposed to be willing to have the potentially ill-odored aura of these amateur spycraft tied to traditional modeling. I sense bad juju for AMA and their rush to lend harbor to this trend. Once the AMA and “model airplane flyers” are recognized as suspect for potential foul play, the FAA will have us tied down like Gulliver was by the Lilliputians!
If I see one of these \’Miserable things\’ in my airspace, I have a twelve gage that will make short work of it! These things are a \’blight\’ on MY hobby that I have been involved with for over 60 years! \’Train People\’? Best thing is to take them away from all the morons out there and use them for what they are, a Utility Vehicle\’ for various industries! I also resent that the \’AMA\’, a modelers based society, promotes these things, like they should be important? Why, because you will lose advertising or donation dollars if you don\’t! I am not alone in this, wise up people!
I have a DJI Phantom 2+ and would be more than willing to assist new pilots that have questions or want to know more about setting up their drone. Our flying field is an AMA member only field and is a bit of drive outside of San Antonio so it may be better to plan a meetup location that is safe but more convienient to new drone owners.