The Insurance Industry Requires UAS Training That Is Up to The Job

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drones are more and more being called into the insurance industry to natural and manmade disasters to evaluate the impact area, inspect assets, manage risk, and evaluate claims efficiently, accurately and most of all safely.

With such diverse and practical applications, it’s no wonder that some insurance industry leaders are eager to implement UAS programs. In order to get the program up and running quickly, some are opting to buy commercial-off-the-shelf UAS to do important tasks they are often not suited for. More importantly, many often overlook the most important component in a UAS, a well-trained pilot.

Members of the insurance industry are required to undertake continuing education in various subjects in order to maintain their state licenses. UAS pilot training should be of a similar professional quality well beyond FAA’s Part 107.

With the advent of UAS, thousands of companies have entered the marketplace hoping to sell their devices and/or services to commercial operators and companies. Thousands of individuals around the country are openly using UAS, with numerous others doing so discreetly. But who fosters the proper integration of UAS into these insurance organizations?

In some cases, that falls to commercial companies without any insurance industry background. Others end up having to utilize hobbyists turned entrepreneurs. Part 107 certification has lowered the barrier to entry for the technology and created tremendous opportunities, but receiving certification requires little more than passing a multiple choice only exam that's designed for a 16-year-old high school student. It falls well short of the standardized proficiency which the public expects from the men and women who we depend on.

After all, learning to fly figure 8's or an obstacle course around a park may teach you good maneuvering skills, but it doesn’t teach you how to evaluate the impact area of a disaster, inspect complex building facades or rooftops, and evaluate claims efficiently, accurately and safely.

No one wants to find out in the midst of a crisis that his or her UAS training has not prepared them for the situation at hand. To insure this never happens, when acquiring training for you or your company, look for a company that has practical training and experience in the insurance industry and UAS for the unique applications that you require like commercial and residential property, infrastructure and utilities, agriculture, automotive and more.

But most importantly ensure the company and the instructors have solid training and experience in the insurance industry and integrating UAS. A company that’s instructors actually have utilized drones for pre and post loss such as risk engineering, natural disaster monitoring, inspection, risk assessment, claims adjudication and fraud prevention.

Interested In Flying Drones Beyond Visual Line Of Sight?

Interested in flying drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)? The BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee report is available and we want to know your thoughts! Learn how to submit your comments and attend the next listening session at More

Phoenix Fire Department announces use of drones to fight fires

Earlier this month, the Phoenix Fire Department began using drones to help crews on the ground better do their jobs. The department has three drones and FAA certifications for eight drone pilots.

Phoenix Fire Cpt. Kenny Overton said the drones flying overhead give firefighters already on the scene a safe way to get more information.

“This is going to enable us to deliver better service to the citizens of Phoenix and also better protect our firefighters in active incidents," Overton said.

The program has been implemented since June 6, aiding with active structure fires. The drones send a live video feed to the command team’s monitors.

Overton, who is FAA certified himself, says the aerial view gives firefighters more opportunities to make informed decisions in intense situations, like spotting possible hazards or helping with search and rescue operations.

Overton noted that the use of drones is supplementary to firefighters' initial response. 

 

FAA Takes Public Input On Long-Distance Drone Flights

 I know many readers would disagree when I say that electric aviation is not the future. But, when you hear me go on to say that electric aviation is the present, you realize I’m not poo poo-ing electric aviation, but I may be too optimistic. The fact is: yes, electric aviation is already here. While we won’t see an electric version of a 747 any time soon, flights that once went to planes that guzzle dirty leaded avgas or kerosene are now often happening with battery-electric “drones”.

(Officially, they’re Small Unmanned Aerial Systems or sUAS, and aren’t drones because they require a pilot, but that’s all semantics)

Read More

Three Healthcare Organizations Launch Drone Delivery with Zipline

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First Responders Reflect on Lessons Learned from Surfside

First responders and specialized units rushed to the Champlain Towers South within hours after the building collapsed on June 24, 2021. 

“To get two full-sized urban search and rescue teams there within the first 24 hours is unheard of,” said Dave Downey, the former Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief, who now works with the Florida State Fire Marshal.

Downey, who was in the command post at Surfside, said being able to communicate effectively with all the different response teams was key as well as getting rescuers the tools they needed.  

“...As a tool broke, we just moved it off and moved a new tool in and they repaired the tool that was broken. There was no interruption. We had never done that.”

In addition, they learned that heavy cranes need to arrive almost as quickly as the search teams. 

“You can’t work a collapse rescue without cranes, without excavators and making sure that you know where these are and how to get them into your area,” Downey said.  

The rescue teams also used drones. 

“We were able to fly a drone into the underground parking garage that was completely pancaked and to be able to get around vehicles and do as close to a search as we could for any victims,” Downey said.  

The team members who worked the site told NBC 6 that the technology the Israelis brought to the scene made a difference.  

 “Almost a reenactment of the building, how it fell, where people could possibly be in the rubble,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Capt. Erik Sada. “It was kind of a new way of searching and finding people we have not had in the past.”

Downey added, “They were able to map that out and help us line up stairwells, rooms, apartments, and they were really spot on.” 

When asked what’s the ultimate takeaway, Downey said, “Through experience, through training you always get stronger … This type of thing, as tragic as they are, they make us stronger for the next time.”

Flying Drone Near Airport? Here’s What To Know

Flying Drone Near Airport? Here’s What To Know: Chicago Executive Airport has warned drone owners on the dangers of flying too close to the airport. “We are one of the busiest airports… we operate three runways and have seen multiple unauthorized drones in the airport,” Chicago Executive Airport Operations and Maintenance Supervisor Andrew Wolanik said. Chicago Executive, a facility owned and operated jointly

‘It’s Not Afghanistan’: Ukrainian Pilots Push Back on U.S.-Provided Drones

 Ukrainian military officials are enmeshed in a hotly contested debate over whether U.S.-provided Gray Eagle strike drones can be effective against increasingly resilient Russian air defenses, while the Biden administration considers providing Kyiv with the systems that became ubiquitous in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The risk of operating drones in Ukraine, which saw cheap strike drones like the Turkish Bayraktar have significant impact against the Russian military in the first days of the war, has increased as the fight has moved east to the Donbas region, which abuts Russia’s Western Military District and larger clusters of advanced air defense systems, such as S-300 and S-400 missile batteries.

But there is a split between front-line airmen and Ukraine’s chief of staff on the drones, according to multiple Ukrainian military officials, who recently spoke to Foreign Policy and other media outlets on condition of anonymity, identified only by their military call signs. Read More

How Cal Fire Uses Drones To Fight Wildfires

 Cal fire is using new drone technology to fight wildfires. Giving them a bigger picture of wildfires so they know how to best put them out. 

It's already a busy season for firefighters with wildfires sparking up more often. The drones Cal Fire uses give firefighters more resources.

"They're able to give us any type of heat source, or if there's an evacuation being put in place, or we have trapped people, they can identify those people and actually know where they're at on the incident," said Captain Richard Cordova with Cal Fire Riverside.  Read More.

Stop calling Switchblades ‘drones’ — it’s causing policy confusion

Words matter, especially when it comes to understanding and overseeing new military technologies. That is why it is especially important to be deliberate and precise in how we talk about a new class of aerial munitions, like the Switchblade loitering munition, which many, including government leaders, are inaccurately referring to as unmanned aerial vehicles. Read more

UAF Makes Alaska's First Large Drone Flight from Int'l Airport

UAF Makes Alaska's First Large Drone Flight from Int'l Airport: University of Alaska Fairbanks makes Alaska's first large drone flight from Fairbanks International Airport.

319th SFS Tests Small UAS Capabilities, Seeks Innovation

319th SFS Tests Small UAS Capabilities, Seeks Innovation: The Grand Forks Air Force Base, 319th Security Forces Squadron attended a small unmanned aircraft system flight training course at the University of North Dakota to test small UAS capabilities and seek innovation.

AeroVironment, Inc. Demonstrates Multi-Domain Unmanned Systems

AeroVironment, Inc. Demonstrates Multi-Domain Unmanned Systems @UASMagazine: Aerovironment announced the successful maritime demonstration of Interoperability to Interchangeability operations by the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy using AeroVironment’s Puma™ 3 AE small unmanned aircraft systems.

Join the FAA for Drone Safety Day

 WASHINGTON—The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is inviting the drone community to be part of its 2022 Drone Safety Day campaign on Saturday, June 18. This year’s campaign will be a one-day national event, to encourage drone pilots and recreational flyers to “Fly RIGHT.” This year’s safety messages will focus on: 

•    Register your drone 
•    Interact with others
•    Gain knowledge
•    Have a safety plan
•    TRUST and Train

Since 2019, the FAA has hosted the annual campaign dedicated to drone safety and best practices. Safety is a shared responsibility that requires the community and the FAA to work together.           

For additional information and to find virtual and in-person events near you, visit faa.gov. Follow the FAA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest Drone Safety Day news. 

AeroVironment Donates Over 100 Quantix Recon UAS to Ukraine

AeroVironment Donates Over 100 Quantix Recon UAS to Ukraine @UASMagazine: AeroVironment announced it will donate more than 100 Quantix™ Recon unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and territorial forces.

UK mountain rescue teams trial drone technology to find lost climbers - BBC News

New drone technology is allowing mountain rescue teams to dramatically improve how they search for people who get stuck and stranded on Britain's highest peaks. As well as using drone cameras to find the climbers, the drones can now be fitted with lights and loudspeakers to help communicate with those who are trapped. The new technology has been developing over several years but is now being used in active rescues.

QFES crews use drone technology for flood rescues during 2022 disaster

 

For the first time, it's been revealed how drones helped save lives during the floods, leading rescuers to stranded Queenslanders.

FAA Begins New Phase of Testing to Safely Integrate Drones into the National Airspace (NAS)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will begin field-testing new drone-traffic-management capabilities to further integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System.  

The Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) Field Test, which will start in the spring of 2022, will allow the government and the drone community to continue improving standards, data-exchange methods and cybersecurity capabilities.  

UTM includes a set of services that are complementary to, but separate from, Air Traffic Management services for manned aircraft. It is targeted toward small unmanned aircraft operations in airspace, generally flying below 400 feet, and builds on current rules and capabilities that enable airspace access and authorization.

The test outcomes will provide the FAA with critical information to support the development of new policies and for industry development of updated standards to allow drones to routinely fly beyond visual line of sight of the operators.

The FAA and its industry partners will conduct multiple drone flights in realistic test scenarios to learn more about how to manage drone traffic in varying environments. The flight tests will examine how the latest capabilities and standards will work to support the operations in the real world.