David Wright (from left), Steve Graves, Brad Robert, Chip Hood, George Bosworth and Dan Caesar watch as Caesar operates a drone during a demonstration of the technology for members of the airport commission at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015.
Hobbyists seeking to fly a drone within a five-mile radius of Richard B. Russell Regional Airport are supposed to contact the airport in advance of putting the drone in the air.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. David Wright told members of the Floyd County Airport Commission Tuesday that they need to be pro-active in spreading the word about rules and regulations regarding use of drone technology.
Wright is president of Spectrum Education, a Rome-based company that works with elementary, middle, and high schools on new technologies for science, math and engineering.
He said his company has applied for a Federal Aviation Administration permit to operate a commercial drone and expects a decision within a matter of weeks.
“Another two years and there will be 20 million of these things flying around,” said Brad Robert, a commercial pilot and member of the airport commission.
“Come Christmastime it’s going to be crazy,” said Airport Manager Mike Mathews.
Wright said drone operators should be referred to the FAA website for a complete review of rules and regulations. He also suggested a site called KnowBeforeYouFly.org for hobbyists.
Among the basic rules, he said, are that drones can’t be flown higher than 400 feet, they must remain within sight of the operator and they should not be flown over crowds of people.
Wright and business partner Dan Caesar demonstrated one of the camera-equipped Spectrum drones after the Airport Commission meeting.
Also Tuesday, Mathews told the panel the airport lost about $17,000 on the Wings Over North Georgia air show last month. The first day of the two-day show was rained out.
“If we’d had a good Saturday we’d all be sitting here smiling ear-to-ear,” Mathews said.
He also presented the citizen-board with a copy of the 2016 budget he has submitted to the Floyd County Commission.
The budget calls for local operating expenditures of $308,265. It also shows $548,500 for engineering and environmental assessments related to a 1,000-foot extension of the main runway. That project is funded through the 2013 special purpose, local option sales tax
Drone information websites by the FAA www.faa.gov/uas and for hobbyists www.knowbeforeyoufly.org
- Source: http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com
Richard B. Russell Airport Commissioners Brad Robert (from left), Steve Graves and Todd Carroll watch as David Wright shows off the camera in a drone.
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