Drones are Upon Us

The up and coming age of drones is upon us. With the familiar term of drones, the technical term is unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV). With both commercial and private sector applications, drones raise many questions to the public. People are excited with the different applications of drones and the benefits they will give us. Commercial companies such as Amazon and UPS have been working on the use of drones for deliveries. With drone development taking place all around us, we are closer to it than most think.

The University at Albany has recently opened up its drone facility. This drone facility has raised many questions in regards to drones from all perspectives. The facility is two stories high and is located on the downtown campus in the basement of PageHall. The flying facility is surrounded by nets to protect those in the room. There are obstacle courses set up to challenge the flyers and become more familiar with flying their drones.

The facility will also stand as a overall place for people to fly their drones not only in a safe environment but a place where they can fly year round according to Professor Behlendorf of the University at Albany. The drone lab would also offer a place for novelist to fly and allow people to experiment with drones.

The FAA does have regulations on flying drones and requires anyone who is flying commercially to have their Part 107 license.  Though the FAA regulates the flying of UAV’s they do not regulate or have any requirements for the indoor flying of UAV’s.

The school has a drone class titled CEHC 360- The Legal, Ethical and Operational Impact of Unmanned Systems. This course is taught by Professor Brandon Behlendorf.  

Brandon Behlendorf who has been teaching at the University at Albany for some time now says he got into drones simply because “Drones are cool.” Behlendorf would go on to talk about how drones are an “Advancement in technology.” When asked about the risk v.s. Reward of drone use domestically, Behlendorf would go on to talk about how there is no answer for that yet as there is still much to learn, but there are definitely a lot of benefits drones offer us.

Lt. Colonel (Retired) Chad Calvaresi from US Special Operations Command came in to speak to Professor Behlendorf class on Wednesday April 17th. Calvaresi was there to specifically talk about UAS which is also known as unmanned aerial systems. Calvaresi said drones are a “Real serious problem for security.” Though this is the case he would go on to say how drones are giving us a lot of benefits.

With the technology constantly advancing and only getting cheaper, people of all ages as well as all around the world are beginning to have access to drones. Though there might be security risks, drones are also doing a lot of good around the world and providing us with a lot of benefits. Drone applications are being used as a tool by first responders to help mitigate emergency situations and save lives.

drone facility

https://www.albany.edu/news/90830.php

first responders

Fotokite Launches Tethered Drone System for Firefighters

Two dead and two injured in a two- car accident Monday afternoon in Albany. Albany police were called to the car accident at 4:30p.m. at the corner of Ninth and Elm streets. After police arrived an ambulance was called. The victims were later identified at the hospital as James and Martha Westhaver. James was 55 and his wife was 60. James West, 43, and Samuel Blackwater, 32, were in the other vehicle.

Witnesses told police that the car that had only injured people was heading south on Ninth Street and went through a red light. As they went through the red light they hit the car broadside and sent the car rolling over three times before it came to a stop next to a light pole.

West suffered a broken leg and possible concussion while Blackwater broke both of his arms as well as a broken nose. After the accident, West was ticketed by police for both careless and imprudent driving. The Attorney that is prosecuting, James Taylor, said that there will be an investigation to determine if involuntary manslaughter charges should be held against West.

James Westhaver was president of Merchants National Bank. He was an employee with the bank for 33 years. James Westhaver also served as a chairman for United Way as well as treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce. James wife hosted a talk show on KTGG. James West and Samuel Blackwater both work for the city of Albany in the Parks and Recreation Department.

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Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton