Model Airplanes

They take to the sky in seconds, hover, turn and fly, hundreds of feet high, and up to a mile away and many can take video and pictures. Aerial drones are hot Christmas gifts.

Kevin Nichols is the remote control specialist at the Hobby Town store in Fresno. He says these quad copters can fly just about anywhere and sell for anywhere from $39 to more than $1,000.

“The ones with the cameras are popular especially ones that can transmit the video back live to you so you can actually watch the video as you are taking it.” Nichols said.

While the best can take cinematic quality video you can watch live, a small $69 model puts acceptable looking video on a tiny card, you can take out and watch after it lands.

The “drones” are a lot more popular than the traditional remote control airplanes. So the Federal Aviation Administration has an ad campaign to remind users about the rules.

The message: “Do fly your unmanned aircraft below 400 feet. Don’t fly beyond your line of sight.”

And don’t fly within three miles of an airport, airplane pilots have reported some close calls. But Nichols notes the big concern is privacy.

Nichols explained, “I think the fact they put a camera on it, just kind of freaked people out.”

These things can take video or pictures just about anywhere, so personal privacy is becoming a big issue. And with sales of these things five times higher than last year, just be aware, after

Article source: http://abc30.com/hobbies/drones-are-hot-for-christmas/449076/

Peter O. Knight Airport and downtown Tampa in the background

If you get a drone for Christmas, there are a few things you should know.

Federation Aviation Administration launched a campaign this week to ensure that new drone pilots of all ages are aware of the rules of the air — rules that, if broken, could earn amateur fliers a stern warning, or a night in jail.

Most of the guidelines pertain to where you can — and can’t — fly your shiny new toy. The FAA prohibits flying drones within five miles of an airport or over sensitive infrastructure or property such as power stations, water treatment facilities, correctional facilities, heavily traveled roadways or government facilities.

Since the beginning of this year, there have been nearly 200 reports of drones or model planes coming close to manned aircraft in over 30 states across the country.

The FAA told CBS News that it is receiving 25 reports every month from pilots who have seen drones or model planes near planes and helicopters. On a few occasions, pilots have been forced to alter their course.

The Federal Aviation Administration is partnering with drone groups in Washington to warn holiday drone users of regulations involving the unmanned aircraft. 

The group said the campaign, which has been dubbed “Know Before You Fly,” is aimed at providing “prospective [drone] operators with the information and guidance they need to fly safely and responsibly.

“There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm around [drones], and the technology is becoming the must-have holiday gift,” Michael Toscano, president of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), said in a statement. “The ‘Know Before You Fly’ campaign fills a critical education gap just in time for the holiday season. We want to ensure that all prospective operators have the tools they need to fly safely and responsibly.” 

The unmanned vehicle association is joining the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the Small UAV Coalition in partnering with the FAA on the drone awareness campaign. 

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said the agency is “proud to be partnering with AUVSI, AMA and the Small UAV Coalition in spreading the word about ways to fly safely and responsibly. 

“We often say that safety is a shared responsibility,” Huerta said in a statement. “The ‘Know Before You Fly’ campaign allows us to harness the resources and expertise of industry as we strive to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.”

The FAA has been facing increased pressure to approve a rapid expansion of nonmilitary drone use. Congress has given agency until September 2015 to finalize new rules for the unmanned

Article source: http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/227886-faa-industry-to-holiday-drone-users-know-before-you-fly

FAIRBANKS — When Terry Duszynski flew from Fairbanks to Seattle on Friday, he joined a special club.

He flew his millionth mile on Alaska Airlines.

“This has been 20 years in the making,” the longtime home building inspector said.

Duszynski is the 374th Alaskan to become a “Million Miler” and the 53rd Fairbanksan, according to Alaska Airlines.

These are actual flight miles on Alaska Airlines in a mileage plan account since Duszynski became a member. Bonus miles and partner activity do not count toward the accumulation of one million miles.

“It’s a huge deal to Alaska Airlines,” said Scott Habberstad, director of sales and community marketing for Alaska Airlines in Anchorage. “These are people who have invested a lot of time in our airplanes.”

Flying those million miles is equivalent to flying from the Earth to the moon twice or the same distance as flying around the world 26

Article source: http://www.newsminer.com/news/kris_capps/fairbanks-man-becomes-an-alaska-airlines-million-miler/article_4c53d756-8a7b-11e4-bbf9-0b8103696a26.html