Using Drones in Disaster Relief
In light of the emergency happening in Houston right now, many Drone U members have reached out to ask if there is some way for them to help with Hurricane Harvey disaster relief. While we’re proud to be associated with such caring folks, we want to discourage pilots heading down to Houston with their drones.
Unfortunately, flying a drone in Houston is both illegal and unnecessary at the moment. Only those drone pilots who are flying on behalf of a government agency or those with special authorizations are permitted to fly over Houston right now. While there may be a larger need for drones in Houston during the coming months, pilots who fly over the city right now will only risk causing additional problems. For now, we need to keep the skies clear so that FEMA, Red Cross and government-authorized pilots can do their jobs.
A special thanks goes out to Doug La Farge, our mapping instructor, for joining us on this episode to discuss the feasibility of mapping the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Our prayers go out to everyone affected by the hurricane.
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- [00:44] Quite a few Drone U members have offered to help out with Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief in Houston
- [01:47] Is there is a likelihood of getting fined if you fly your drone in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey?
- [02:19] What is the process that drone pilots need to follow for helping out in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey?
- [03:04] Discussing the feasibility of mapping the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
- [03:41] Paul welcomes Doug LaFarge to discuss feasibility of mapping the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
- [04:50] Is it advisable to use a fixed wing drone over a multi rotor to map areas affected by Hurricane Harvey?
- [07:44] Find out why it is important to go through the right chain of command if you wish to help out in disaster relief operations
- [10:20] Understanding why the capabilities of the Inspire One renders it a good fit for disaster relief efforts
- [10:41] Understanding how long data processing times and the dynamic on ground situation renders mapping unfeasible
- [11:31] Is Microsoft’s Azure powerful handle to handle voluminous mapping data? Would that be prohibitively expensive?
- [12:12] What are some of the practical challenges that drone pilots are likely to face as they attempt to help out with disaster relief?
- [13:47] Analyzing the FAA order JO7200.23A
- [15:51] Which are some of the websites you can visit to get information about Hurricane Harvey?
- [16:37] Understanding the specifics of the “Industry Liaison Program” is critical for individuals and organizations looking to do business in Hurricane Harvey affected areas
