Browse Sites By Day: 07.02.2020 RSS2020-02-07T18:17:10+0000Andrew Davies is the first drone pilot to be granted a drone spraying license for weeds in Tasmania, Australia, after years of fighting to get the license. Previously in mining and construction, Andrew saw a hole in the market and decided to fill it, using a drone equipped with pesticide sprayers. Andrew and his drone are fighting weeds in places too dangerous to send someone in or aren’t accessible by an aircraft. He has partnered with Hydro Tasmania to spray weeds growing out of its dam wall, a task that used to be undertaken by an abseiler. The drone allows the time to spray the weeds to be brought down from four days to just one at a fraction of the cost. Along with dams, Andrew also recognizes the benefits for the mining industry, saying the pampas weed is a problem in mining that can be fixed with drones.

]]>2020-02-07T18:17:10+0000Are you going to the beach this summer and happen to be in Australia? Look up, you might see a drone flying around keeping an eye on swimmers, looking out for sharks, or helping out with rescue efforts. The drone will be yellow and red — the colors of lifesaving — to make sure it stands out. The news comes from CASA’s Flight Safety Australia magazine, outlining the use of drones at some of Australia’s most popular beaches this summer. The drones flying above will be used for safety, surveillance, and search-and-rescue operations along with sports videos. The drones will be flown by new lifeguards on land who won’t enter the water and aren’t required to have any particular swimming ability. The exact drones being used are unknown, but it is likely DJI’s Phantom 4 drone will be used from what we have seen in previous tests. Some pilots have a background in aviation, including Qantas A380 pilots, and others don’t have any background in aviation. The pilots are required to undergo a two-day training session in drone operations and safety.

]]>2020-02-07T15:17:33+0000