Meeting Location: First United Methodist Church, 603 State Street, Schenectady
Thanks to Rudy Dehn W2JVF and Darrin Nash KD2LCH, this year’s SARA meetings will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church.
Unmanned Aerial Systems (a.k.a. “Drones”) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Speaker: Gary J. McPherson, P.E., W2GJM
Abstract: The presentation will give an overview of the current FAA rules and regulations (Parts 107 and 101) and will focus on what you need to know before flying your UAS (a.k.a. drone). There will be several UAS platforms at the presentation to show attendees the various capabilities and currently available technology/payloads and options. This presentation will also describe some of the current completed missions utilizing drones along with footage from various missions and projects, and will discuss anti-drone technology.
About our speaker: Gary has been a licensed amateur radio operator since the late 80’s and operated club calls while in attendance at HVCC and Union College. He graduated from Union College in ’93 with a BS in Civil Engineering. He is a professional engineer and has been with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the last 20+ years. Gary began flying airplanes well before drones. He started flying at the age of 15, soloed at 16, and obtained his private pilot license in 1991. In 2016, he became the first FAA-certificated UAS remote drone pilot in New York State. On top of Gary’s standard engineering duties he assisted in the formation of the NYSDEC UAS program and is one of the department’s UAS pilots and instructors. Gary utilizes UAS on various missions, including emergency response, environmental water, forest and wildlife assessments, mapping missions, and has provided aerial assistance for the Governor. Gary also owns and operates a photography business and has integrated the use of UAS to add a unique visual perspective.