AVON LAKE, Ohio -- Drones for Hospice flights were the topic of a recent talk at the Avon Lake Public Library. Aerial Anthropology, owned by Tom and Ashley Davis, provides drone flights for many purposes, including flights for the benefit of hospice patients and their families through their non-profit, The Flight To Remember Foundation.
“Our participants and their families select a location that is meaningful to them. Our pilots will go to those special locations and fly their drone, capturing breathtaking views from heights up to 400 feet," Ashley Davis said.
"We then create a video for our participants, who can watch it while resting comfortably in their bed, surrounded by loved ones.”
Davis noted that the “life-enriching” experience is the first of its kind and that they even have pilots in other countries who can be contacted to create overseas flight memories.
The North Coast Drone Alliance was also represented at the library presentation. Chris Pugh, president of the organization’s board of trustees, said they do at least one drone demonstration per month.
“We are a group of drone operators,” he said, “promoting the drone industry. Our primary mission is safe and legal operations, all under FAA guidance.” The Federal Aviation Administration is the enforcement and drone-licensing agency, Pugh said.
The participants spoke about the increasing use of drones for many purposes in addition to videos, including in agriculture to detect moisture, for inspection of towers and other locations for real estate agents, as well as for marketing and insurance agents. The engineering and construction industries are also known for their wide usage of drones to quickly evaluate their projects.
“Buyer Beware” was a warning issued by Ohio Drone Repair. Because drones have become so popular so fast, the warning includes watching out for some drones sold without even so much as a maintenance manual.
Drone operators must obey many rules, including staying a minimum of five miles away from an airport, flying no higher than 400 feet above ground level and keeping the drone within the operator’s direct eyesight at all times. And be sure to get permission to fly a drone in the National Park System. Some areas, such as the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park, are strictly off limits to drones.
Innovations and changes are coming all the time for drones. Currently, even a parachute is in the works for drones.
For more information on the Flight to Remember foundation, visit https://www.flighttoremember.org for pricing on the gift of a lifetime -- one last trip -- for a loved one.
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