Pest Management Professional, May 2018
Cover Story Continued froM Page 32 FAA and must fly a drone that weighs less than 55 lbs within visual line of sight during daylight hours at or below 400 ft Those requirements were established in the FAAs Part 107 regulations in 2016 The drones cant be flown near aircraft or over people and cannot fly in restricted airspace near airports without notifying the airport operator and air traffic controllers Part 107 waivers are available for drone flights requiring operation in restricted air space or at higher altitudes In commercial applications that may require entry into the National Airspace System a pest management firm would need a license to operate the drone and an exemption under Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 The S3 Mobile Robot from SMP Robotics is an example of a terrestrial drone equipped with a flexible thermal vision camera Sheffield says the FAA requirements werent much of a hurdle You get the proper paperwork and get it approved he says Its no different than any other regulatory process You take the classes and pass the test and youre good to go Sheffield notes his companys drone never flies higher than around 100 ft and that there are some limitations to where they can operate because of their proximity to the Atlanta airport The drone Tesh uses is monitored with a mobile app that helps him identify when the drone is within restricted airspace B4UFLY an app from the FAA is helpful too Joe Sheffield The size and weight of the drone also will affect its ability to be useful in some applications You could potentially drop larvicide into a puddle on the flat roof of a building Black says But even an ounce change in weight for some of the smaller drones can affect their Continued on Page 36 34 May 2018 Pest Management Professional mypmp net
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