Drone usage: Good vs Bad

SUMMERS COUNTY W.Va. (Hinton News) – Drone usage has grown among the population of every state, including West Virginia. As with most things, there are some who say the bad outweighs the good.

According to statistics gathered, from 2015 to 2020, there were 4,250 drone-related injuries. Of those injured, 21% of the injured individuals are under 18 and 84% are male.

Drone-related injuries aren’t prevalent in West Virginia. The most notable was of a child being seriously injured when a drone fell from the sky during a holiday light show. This incident had originally been reported by WSAZ news station.

Of note is the ongoing occurrence of reports of strange lights in the sky over West Virginia. Some believe these lights to be nothing more than drones. Washington officials have said these sightings have no evidence to support concerns over malicious intent. The lights in question are described as bright and moving quickly. It’s believed the lights could easily be legal for nighttime drone flights by hobbyists or law enforcement.

A license is required to operate a drone. To be specific, a remote pilot license from the FAA is needed to fly a drone for any non-recreational purposes. Included in this is government use, commercial use, use by emergency services and any other services that are not for recreational purposes.

If you fly a Drone simply for fun, you still need to pass the recreational UAS Safety test (TRUST) and register your drone with the FAA if it weighs more than 0.55 lbs.

If your drone is going to be used for work, even if it’s the smallest job, you need a Part 107 license. This can be obtained by passing the unmanned aircraft general – small knowledge exam.

Drone operations often involve working with others, so having the ability to work on a team is vital. Always be professional in any situation you are called upon to fly a Drone and be adaptable To whatever situation you’re presented with. Constantly be willing to learn whatever new updates are available for Drone usage to keep yourself at the best possible.

Summers County Emergency Services Director Loyd Lowery spoke to Hinton News about how drones have helped the community right here in Summers County.

According to Lowery, thermal and infrared red cameras establish at-risk exposures for brush fires and establish where to put fire lines. Lowery said the drone allows us to see through the smoke and direct water onto the actual burning materials. He went on to explain that this came in very handy at the HAM landfill tire fire last year. Lowery also said that the drone is very useful for Search and Rescue due to the mega zoom and thermal/IR cameras. He said that a very large area could be searched very quickly and eliminate areas that do not need a boots-on-the-ground type search, such as an open field.