Our UAS Blog

17 April 2019 | Disaster Response, Public Safety

Having been involved with the Chula Vista Police drone program since very early on, we have been eagerly waiting to see the results of their “drone as a first responder” program. This is where the drone — not a police officer - is first on scene, and can begin feeding pictures back to responding officers before they even get there. This is one of the best examples of how a drone being on scene so quickly - in many cases just 2 minutes after the 911 call - can give officers a true picture of what’s happening before they arrive.

16 April 2019 | Disaster Response

It is never easy to watch raging fires take place in such iconic locations, but if there was any saving grace to this one, is that firefighters had drones quick at hand to help get immediate, and actionable intelligence. This is what it’s all about — getting perspective on an incident in new ways that help responders gain control more quickly and more safely.

11 April 2019 | Private Security & Event Overwatch

By now, you’ve heard about how drones are helping police departments, and you may think you’re missing the boat, but in reality, only about two thousand departments (out of more than 40,000) have officially adopted this technology.As someone who has spent the last six years educating people in law enforcement about the benefits of drones, the shift from “this is a toy” to “I want to know more” to “I want to buy one” is happening before our very eyes, and the message is clear - this technology is here to stay. So if you’re interested in developing a UAS program for your police department, what do you need to know? There are three major parts to developing a program: understanding FAA drone enforcement, selecting and purchasing the right equipment for the task, and training. Let's start with dealing with the FAA.

31 March 2019 | Private Security & Event Overwatch

Aerial drones have come a long way in a short period of time. In the past 10 years, they have become a routine tool for photographers, landscape gardeners, golf course designers, law enforcement, architects, film-makers, and many other professionals. In many cases, owners rely on their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to deliver a high-quality service, and by and large, that's what they provide.However, as some users are finding, UAVs come with their own unique security vulnerabilities. As more people use drones, the risk of hijacks and thefts is rising, especially where video and photographic content is concerned. But few owners appear to know how to secure their vehicles against these attacks.

29 March 2019 | Specialized FAA Waivers

Many non-pilots are now familiar with ASRS, which allows flight crews to report anomalies, hazardous conditions, and other situations in the interest of safety, and earn a measure of protection against adverse actions or sanctions from the FAA in exchange for speaking frankly and reporting possible safety issues. The system gained notoriety in the wake of recent Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes after ASRS reports of similar incidents were quoted by journalists. UASRS, the unmanned version of ASRS, is in the final stages of development, according to a recent briefing provided to members of the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Safety Team, a government-industry collaboration that is also modeled on similar groups created to support safety in commercial and general aviation.

21 March 2019 | Specialized FAA Waivers

Skyfire Consulting, the country's premier public safety UAV consultancy, announced today FAA approval for the first active emergency response Certificate of Authorization with a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) provision for public safety as part of the FAA's IPP program.Working on behalf of the Chula Vista Police Department with the support of the City of San Diego, and in partnership with software company Cape, Skyfire authored an extensive safety and risk mitigation analysis that cleared the way for the police department to operate its drones over a much larger area within its jurisdiction.

16 March 2019 | All Verticals

For such an inexpensive and basic part, propellers are often the most overlooked part of the drone. Yet, without properly functioning props, your UAV could drop out of the sky, fly away, or worse. Don't take our word for it, though, here's a great example of what can happen.Propellers are essentially small airfoils that provide the lift for your drone to stay in the air. If there are disruptions to the smooth airflow over the propellers, the drone will have reduced lift or possibly not be able to stay airborne.

6 February 2019 | Private Security & Event Overwatch

We’re starting to see more integration of drones and UAS into overwatch missions. Mike Briant of Skydas Group International and Skyfire partner was instrumental in helping develop a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for Skyfire’s role in securing the big game last year. Let’s revisit that groundbreaking operation.