A new nonprofit called UAViators is promising to offer experienced drone pilots a place to sign up for humanitarian missions where their aircraft can do some good. Pretty soon you might be showing the world how drones can save lives, not just take them!
All you have to do is go their website, create a profile, pick a team, and wait for orders. Easy enough, right?
In a sense, UAViators is creating a social network for experienced, well meaning drone pilots. (The organisation is using Ning, a platform for creating social networks on the fly, as well as Google Docs to coordinate rosters and documentation.) Given that they're just getting off the ground, there aren't really any missions quite yet, but over the past few years, there have been plenty of calls-to-action and aid groups using drones in crisis areas. There's no doubt a more organised network of pilots and technicians will make it easier for more people to get involved.
The launch of UAViators comes right after the FAAproposed a set of thankfully lenient rules to govern the use of commercial drones. While the rules make some enterprises more difficult, it certainly clears up a few questions about drone use in the United States. And that clarity will certainly encourage more people to learn how to be a pilot. Sure, it's fun to fly your quadcopter around the beach and make pretty videos. But it's downright heroic to use technology to help people in need. Sign up here. [UAViators viaSpringwise]
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