Best practices and drone industry news


Drone Airspace in America’s Largest Media Markets

Eric Ringer
Senior Product Manager, Co-founder at Skyward

In a survey conducted last April, experts in the field of drone journalism were asked what they saw as the greatest challenges facing the development of their industry today. Not surprisingly, the number one answer was uncertainty about the legal/regulatory framework. Certainly, things have improved with the adoption of Part 107, which opened up a great deal of airspace and removed many barriers to entry faced by those who want to fly drones commercially.

Nevertheless, there are still many pockets of low-altitude controlled airspace all across the country, particularly in large cities. Navigating around those limitations can be time consuming, though with the upcoming release of LAANC, we can expect some improvement. Still, most broadcasters will find it most efficient to apply for longer-lasting airspace authorization in their home cities—this article provides guidance. Continue reading →

August 16, 2017

Q&A: How Skyward Is Working with the FAA on LAANC

Rebecca Wilson
Editor at Skyward

Since last August, Part 107 has undoubtedly lowered the barrier to entry for businesses launching commercial drone operations. But it has also created new challenges, especially for companies that were already running fairly sophisticated operations.

Several months ago, Richard Lopez, Virtual Design and Construction Manager at Hensel Phelps Construction Co., told us that the waiver process introduced by Part 107 has added time-consuming hurdles to his workflow. “It’s more difficult to obtain permission to fly in controlled airspace now,” he said. “Previously, if I saw that I had a project in controlled airspace, I’d just call air traffic control and work it out with them. Now, we have to go through the waiver process, which can take months.” Continue reading →

August 7, 2017

Should Media Companies Use Freelance Drone Pilots?

Eric Ringer
Senior Product Manager, Co-founder at Skyward

News and media companies across the country are establishing or bolstering their in-house drone programs: building their processes and protocols, exploring the potentials of the technology, and training personnel. Most of these drone programs will be local to the media outlet, and it won’t be realistic to send drone pilots to cover news events in other areas. And for smaller outlets, there may not be budget to staff an internal drone program, no matter how small. When the need arises for high-quality aerial footage on a tight deadline, hiring a freelance or contract drone video journalist is a practical option. Continue reading →

July 26, 2017
Aerial View of Rocky Seaside

The Media Toolkit: Drones and Data Journalism

Connor O'Brien
Manager of UAS Ops Consulting at Skyward

In the media and news industry, the decision whether to use drones is often couched in economic and logistical terms. Yes, drones save money compared to helicopters when it comes to aerial photography, and they are more easily deployed in the field.

What these conversations often overlook are the ways in which drones can actually augment and expand the possibilities for journalists to gather data and tell stories. Adding more functionality to a newsroom is a benefit that should be weighed along with the financial concerns. Continue reading →

July 12, 2017
Construction Workers on Job Site

Using Drones to Increase Net Safety on the Job Site

Trevor Wichmann
Senior Director of UAS Ops Consulting at Skyward

As drones become a mainstay at job sites across the United States, engineering and construction firms are having conversations about the risks and rewards of the new technology. Those who are leading the charge to incorporate unmanned aviation into their workflows face the challenge of convincing legal teams and risk-management experts that drones will not expose the company to undue risk and liability. We’ve talked about how to go about adding drones to your enterprise before, and as the technology gains widespread acceptance, we’re starting to see the early fruits of what drones can really offer. But to legal experts, drones – at least on the surface – seem to add several risk factors to the equation. Continue reading →

July 7, 2017
Aerial Photo of Beachside Resorts

Media Companies: What to Know About Using Drones

Eric Ringer
Senior Product Manager, Co-founder at Skyward

The media and news industry is in the business of gathering footage and information about rapidly unfolding events. In the past, when a story called for aerial imaging, a news station’s only option was to fly a helicopter over a site. Between the costs of the aircraft, the pilot’s time, hangar space, camera equipment, and safety training, operating a helicopter represents a significant financial outlay. Now that drones are becoming widespread, and regulations governing their use are better defined, many media organizations are seeing the opportunity to reduce the costs of gathering footage from the air and increase the overall efficiency of their operations. Continue reading →

June 27, 2017
Drone Industry Pilots Inspect Drone

How Record Keeping Supports Safe Drone Operations

Connor O'Brien
Manager of UAS Ops Consulting at Skyward

As drones continue their rapid transition to the workplace, the industry continues to establish norms surrounding the use of the technology. Part 107 has helped with that process, but we still have a long way to go when it comes to efficient processes and best practices. Commercial operators and aerial services managers still have a lot of leeway in structuring their systems of accountability, their safeguards against liability, and the overall culture of safety that surrounds their drone programs.

The idea of record keeping doesn’t fill most of us with excitement, but there are many excellent reasons to make it an integral part of your drone operations. In this article, I’ll cover some of the ways in which documentation can help maintain and improve the safety and efficiency of a commercial drone program. Continue reading →

June 19, 2017
Checking Drone Batteries in Case

5 Drone Battery Tips for Construction Companies

Trevor Wichmann
Senior Director of UAS Ops Consulting at Skyward

Drones are becoming common on construction sites at every phase of a project, from design to inspection. When an increasing number of drones performing an increasing number of tasks, logistical concerns become amplified.  What can be a minor inconvenience when you’re using just a few drones can become a major bottleneck as you begin to scale.  

A few weeks ago, members of the Skyward team met with a dozen major construction companies at the Verizon Innovation Center in San Francisco. When we compared notes afterward, we realized that we had all heard the same question over and over: How should we be managing our batteries?

Continue reading →

June 15, 2017
Drone Flight Over a Stadium in Singapore

Adding Drones to the Workflow: News and Media

Eric Ringer
Senior Product Manager, Co-founder at Skyward

If you work at a news or media organization, chances are you’re beginning to see the advantages and efficiencies that drones can add to your operations. In the past months, I’ve spoken to representatives from dozens of traditional and digital news agencies who are eager to incorporate the technology into their toolkits.

Besides the regulatory issues, which we’ve covered in previous articles, one challenge that you may face is figuring out how to fit drones into a well-established content workflow. Let’s take a look at some of these hurdles and how to navigate the early phases of a drone program so that you can enjoy the advantages of being an early adopter, with fewer of the headaches. Continue reading →

June 6, 2017
Aerial Photo of Golden Gate Bridge Mirror Image

Navigating Part 107: Media and News Edition

Gavin McMinn
Skyward Drone Ops Consultant

In an earlier article, my co-worker and Skyward’s chief pilot, Tariq Rashid, wrote about how businesses should approach Part 107 regulations in order to achieve the most efficient drone operations possible. To me, it’s the most helpful article we’ve ever had on the Skyward blog—I’ve probably sent the link to over a hundred companies at this point. (If you’re new to drones, Part 107 refers to the U.S. regulations governing commercial drone use.)    Continue reading →

May 10, 2017
Throttle to Bottle Roadshow Banner

Join Skyward, Skycatch & Hensel Phelps in San Francisco on May 31!

Jessica Moody, Webinar Coordinator
Follow Skyward on Twitter at @SkywardIO

If you’re in San Francisco at the end of May (perhaps attending ENR FutureTech), I hope you’ll consider joining us at the Verizon Innovation Center for an evening of drones, best practices, snacks, and drinks. This is the latest in our ongoing 2017 roadshow events, so if you won’t be in San Francisco, check this list—we may be coming your way soon. Continue reading →

May 5, 2017
Aerial Photo of Urban Construction Site

Drones in Construction – New Resources!

Rebecca Wilson
Editor at Skyward

If you’ve been following the drone industry for a while, you know that things change quickly: aircraft and sensors are advancing, new analysis software comes on the market every week, and creative innovators are always finding new ways to put drones to work. For a writer, this is like being a kid in a candy store—there’s always something new to write about. It also means that we have to constantly review our content, webinars, and presentations to make sure they stay fresh and speak to people’s real-world questions. This is especially true in construction and engineering, the industries with the widest adoption and most sophisticated use cases.  Continue reading →

May 3, 2017
Aerial Photo of Busy Airport

FAA Will Open More Airspace for UAS Ops

Matt Fanelli
Senior Manager for Strategy at Skyward

One of the most staggering statistics that the Federal Aviation Administration revealed at the recent AUVSI UAS Symposium was that businesses submit more than 3,000 Part 107 waiver requests per week. So it’s no wonder that it can take up to 90 days for requesters to get response—the backlog now numbers in the tens of thousands. Continue reading →

April 27, 2017
Fleet of TJI Inspire Drones and Equipment

Best Practices for Managing a Fleet’s Worth of Drone Batteries

Tariq Rashid
Lead Remote Pilot at Skyward

If you’re involved with a large-scale drone operation, you’ve likely encountered frustrations dealing with lithium-polymer batteries. Battery logistics are a common challenge for companies scaling up drone programs, and they represent a considerable hidden cost of growing a fleet. Besides the purchase cost of each individual battery, you also have to account for storage, usage and condition tracking, transport, and obsolescence. Continue reading →

April 17, 2017
View of Earth from Space

Expanding Drone Ops to BRICS Countries

Thomas Fagin
Freelance Contributor

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, sometimes referred to collectively by the acronym BRICS, represent five of the world’s fastest growing economies. As of 2015, half the world’s population lives in these five countries, and they are responsible for 22% of the gross world product. Thanks to their rapid development, there are great opportunities in the construction, engineering, and infrastructure industries in these nations, which are open to participation from international firms to varying degrees.

Though large companies might be reluctant to expand drone operations to countries whose regulations are still being sorted out, this article will give you a place to start. Continue reading →

March 28, 2017

Ground Control Points for Drone Flights

Thomas Fagin
Freelance Contributor

In a recent webinar (watch it here), Aaron Ames from POWER Engineers told us about a recent project, a transmission line project in Arizona. Aaron explained that drones were the best option for aerial imaging for this project as they offer a reduced footprint in an area with sensitive plants and wildlife, namely saguaro cacti, which enjoy heavy protections. Under Arizona state law, any development in this area must account for each cactus when planning for future structures and roads. Prior to UAV technology, POWER Engineers would likely have used manned aircraft (at a greater cost) or a ground survey crew (more expensive, more disruptive, more overall risk). For this particular job, drones were the most efficient and effective tool.  Continue reading →

March 24, 2017
Aerial Photo of City Lights at Night

Expanding Drone Operations into Europe

Trevor Wichmann
Senior Director of UAS Ops Consulting at Skyward

Since the rollout of Part 107, many large companies in the United States have seized the opportunity to develop a drone program and integrate UAVs into their workflows. Many of these companies also have a presence in Europe and are now in the beginning phases of expanding their unmanned aircraft programs overseas. This poses significant business opportunities—and challenges.

Regulatory frameworks are changing fast, which creates logistical and compliance challenges for companies operating in multiple jurisdictions. Today, some countries are more drone friendly than others, presenting a lower barrier to entry for businesses. This article reviews the regulations governing commercial drones in the countries with the largest markets for commercial drones. Continue reading →

March 8, 2017
Skyward Airspace Map of Northern Europe

Resources: International Drone Regulations

Jessica Moody, Webinar Coordinator
Follow Skyward on Twitter at @SkywardIO

If you’ve already built a strong drone program at your company, you might be thinking about expanding operations overseas. There is a huge competitive advantage to being an early adopter of drone technology, and the potential exists to export use cases which are proving disruptive and profitable to other countries where your company does business.

Unfortunately, complying with international regulations can be confusing. Continue reading →

March 7, 2017
Aerial Photo of Baseball Stadium

How to Apply for a Part 107 Waiver

Tariq Rashid
Lead Remote Pilot at Skyward

As of January 31, the FAA had published 318 approved waivers to 14 CFR Part 107, the federal regulations governing commercial drone operations in the United States. Most of these waivers have been to allow nighttime operations, with waivers to allow operation of multiple UAS by one pilot and flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) coming in a distant second and third. The FAA has also accepted hundreds of applications to operate in certain controlled airspace. Continue reading →

March 1, 2017
Industrial Construction Equipment and Stockpiles

Drones for Volumetrics & Aggregates

Gavin McMinn
Skyward Drone Ops Consultant

Drones are increasing safety and lowering costs on construction sites, as well as infrastructure and engineering projects, mining, and agriculture. One of the fastest growing use cases for UAVs across all of these industries is volumetric stockpile and aggregate inspection.

Until very recently, volumetric analysis required workers to collect data by physically climbing on stockpiles with heavy and expensive equipment on their backs. Depending on the type of stockpile, gathering data in this way can be very risky. So inspectors have had to make the choice between good data and their own safety. Continue reading →

February 22, 2017
Drone Pilot Flying in Blue Sky

How Can I Make Money with a Drone?

Jessica Moody, Webinar Coordinator
Follow Skyward on Twitter at @SkywardIO

At Skyward, we make operations management software for companies that use drones, so business managers and drone operators often ask us questions regarding safety, workflow, best practices, and business efficiency. These are great questions that most businesses are focused on—and that our software specifically addresses.

We also receive dozens of questions each week about something altogether different: “I just bought a drone; how do I make money with it?”

This article is a resource for new drone operators who are wondering how to find customers, specialize, and use their drone to make money. This article isn’t comprehensive, but it’ll give you a place to start. Continue reading →

February 21, 2017
Connected World Line Drawing Blue

The Drone Network of Tomorrow (It’s Closer Than You Think)

Jonathan Evans, Co-President
You can follow Jonathan on Twitter at @jwce21

This article originally appeared in slightly different form on DroneLife.

In the past year, the commercial drone industry in the U.S. has seen aerial robots evolve from a novelty to a serious tool.

Like a welder or a news camera, drones are used by human beings to get jobs done. These are often boots-on-the-ground jobs that require rugged tools—think construction, tower inspections, transmission lines, and oil rigs. As another piece of equipment, drones are allowing workers to safely obtain accurate data they may never have accessed before. Continue reading →

February 9, 2017

6 Tips For Scaling Your Drone Operation

Annie Norris
Drone Ops Consultant at Skyward

So you’ve obtained executive buy-in for a drone program at your company, and started small. By achieving gains in efficiency and overall safety, you’ve made a strong case for expansion. How do you take the next step forward without jeopardizing what you’ve already built?

Scaling your drone operation can seem daunting. With a little smart planning and prioritization, you’ll have an easier time moving forward. Continue reading →

January 31, 2017