We recently got a call from a property owner who wanted a precision map of their property. After learning about their needs, the first question we asked was — what is the address of your property so we can confirm it is someplace we can safely fly. When the owner shared that the site was just across the street from Torrance Airport (Class D airspace) we immediately shared that his property’s location might be an issue… but that we’d try to get authorization.

We regularly fly in what is considered “zero grid” or “do not fly” airspace, but this was the closest to Torrance Airport we would had ever flown. So, after reviewing flight patterns and the heights of surrounding buildings, we submitted a request to the airport for our 1 hour flight. We included mitigation to fly lower that usual — but which would avoid any possible conflicts with aircraft. We also shared that we would monitor the airport’s traffic on a special airport traffic frequency radio to ensure a safe mission.

We received permission to fly a few days after submitting our request and we took this “selfie” of intern Mariel and pilot Steven just to document the historic (and safe) event.

 

We got to capture history this week with the 2nd ever Randy’s Donuts sign being installed. Yes, it’s a deviation from our construction site mapping work — but I would definitely call it historic documentation! Randy’s Donuts

Congratulations to Randy’s Donuts and San Pedro Electric Sign Company (SPESCO) for the flawless sign fabrication and installation.

Randy’s Donuts new Downey, CA location — Grand opening on October 23, 2019 at 5am!!!

It was a beautiful day at the Port of Los Angeles today – clear, warm and a light breeze. We were there to support the Danish company, Explict.dk, demonstrate their emission monitoring system for dignitaries in politics and environmental monitoring. Their system mounts on a DJI M600 drone and when flown in the plume of a ship’s smokestack can monitor emissions.  (Think of it as a smog check for large ships — but without ever having to board the ship!)

Getting the permit to fly at the Port of Los Angeles took many long hours of applications and insurance paperwork, but in the end we are now qualified to fly missions at the Port of Los Angeles. Now that we’re qualified, we just need to submit a request and pay for the Port Police escort!

Currently ship emissions are mostly unmonitored — meaning that the emissions laws for the United States and State of California are not enforced. This solution can change that in a very non-invasive way!

 

 

 

This year’s AUVSI XPONENTIAL conference was terrific. Besides visiting with some amazing vendors and seeing new/old friends, the big news is that my business partner and friend Barry Brennan of Flying Lion just won the 2019 AUVSI XCELLENCE AWARD for Training and Education!

And yes, I can take a little credit since I nominated him… but he really deserved it for creating a very unique community college program which includes Part 107 test prep, flight training and 120 hours of externship “on the job” training.

#auvsixcellence #auvsixpo

 

 

 

 

 

It was a cool and windy afternoon today in Beverly Hills documenting the construction of a high-end “private residence” property. It made flying a little more technical — with the takeoff zone on the ground level (supported by JJ) and a Visual Observer/Pilot positioned at the top of the new 11th floor. (See picture of how our operating areas were setup.)

Why the urgency in flying today??? Because we were helping to document the rebar and other utilities which will be buried when the concrete is poured tomorrow.

To ensure a safe flight, we had a “Split Operating Area.” — this helped maintain visual line-of-sight and ensured we avoided the crane in the middle of the property.

The crane operator shared that his equipment recorded wind gusts of 26mph. Our Phantom 4 Pro v2 handled the wind beautifully and resulted in a terrific capture.

This 360 degree panorama which captured both the progress of the project and the beautiful/clear day. In the distance you can see the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, Downtown LA, and even snow on the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance.

#IloveLA #dronemapping #constructionprogress