{"id":26648,"date":"2018-07-01T15:44:25","date_gmt":"2018-07-01T22:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spijue.wpengine.com\/news\/drone-group-takes-flight-2\/"},"modified":"2018-07-01T15:44:25","modified_gmt":"2018-07-01T22:44:25","slug":"drone-group-takes-flight-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/drone-group-takes-flight-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Drone group takes flight"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a Thursday at Juneau Makerspace on Douglas Island<\/a>, nine drone hobbyists talked shop around a few folding tables pushed together, an array of quadcopters before them.<\/p>\n

The gadgets, one of them DIY, others store-bought, range from a pocket-sized toy to about the length and height of a basketball.<\/p>\n

Makerspace President Sam Bornstein showed off his self-built drone, complete with a skull and crossbones flag streaming at an angle from the backside. Each of the other drone enthusiasts at the meetup had bought theirs at a store. Juneau’s Costco now sells them, as well as other places around town.<\/p>\n

“It all goes through this power distribution board, where the battery comes in, and it sends power out to the motors, the board and the camera. The camera is connected to this antenna,” Bornstein explained.<\/p>\n

The number of certified drone pilots and recreationalists in Juneau — the Federal Aviation Administration distinguishes between the two — has grown in recent years. Makerspace’s drone meetup is first of what Bornstein hopes grows into a regular event.<\/p>\n

The FAA began requiring drone hobbyists to register their model aircraft in 2015. In May of 2016, the FAA listed 67 registered UAS in Juneau. By April of this year, that list<\/a> has grown to 162.<\/p>\n

The quickest way to fly is to register a drone for recreation only under the FAA’s Special Rule for Model Aircraft (Section 336). Drone owners can also apply to fly as commercial operators, but they have to pass a test to earn a Remote Pilot Certificate. One of the enthusiasts who showed up Thursday, Greg Strong, is one of about five people, he estimates, qualified to sell their drone flying services locally.<\/p>\n

Earning a Remote Pilot Certificate takes some studying, he said. It isn’t something you can pass using just common sense. The FAA draws 60 questions from a pool of 2,000, he said, which they pose to prospective commercial pilots.<\/p>\n

It took Strong about a month to study, he said. He’s since worked for the cruise lines and national television programs like Good Morning America, shooting drone video under the company name of G-Force Productions<\/a>.<\/p>\n