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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, February 22-25, 2020 B-7 The Park Record What’s the buzz on drones at night? FAA, mountain towns struggle to regulate aircraft JOHN STROUD Glenwood Springs Post Independent GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. – A drone fleet appears to have been dotting the night sky over Glenwood Springs during the past week or so. But — as with similar activity reported in northeast Colorado in late December — it’s a mystery to local officials as to who might be at the controls and what they’re doing. “We’re aware that it’s been happening, and have received some calls about it,” Glenwood Springs Police Chief Joseph Deras confirmed. “They appear to be the larger, commercial types of drones.” Those who have reported seeing blinking lights from the unmanned aircraft in the nighttime hours between about 7-10 p.m. say they don’t appear to be doing anything suspicious, the chief said. “If it were to become an issue, we would reach out to the FAA to try to investigate,” he said. The Federal Aviation Administration requires a special waiver for commercial drone operators to conduct nighttime flights. Hobbyists must have an FAA license to fly a drone, but are limited to daytime hours. The FAA lists eight current nighttime waivers for companies or operators that have Colorado references in their name. Among them is the Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting unit based out of the Rifle-Garfield County Airport. But they or any other public entity would typically provide official notice of nighttime operations, and that hasn’t occurred, according to Reed Clawson of the air ambulance helicopter ser- vice Classic Air Medical. Any unofficial drone activity at the lower altitudes within the Glenwood Springs airspace is cause for concern for the medevac helicopter that operates out of Valley View Hospital and the Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport. “If it’s something official, we’d be in the loop, but we haven’t been notified of anything,” Clawson said. “As hard as those things are to see in the daytime, it’s way more difficult to see them at night. We would appreciate a phone call to let us know they’re operating in the area.” Unregulated airspace Glenwood Springs Airport Manager Amy Helm said she hasn’t heard of any drone sightings by pilots or related conflicts. And, with the exception of Classic Air, which conducts nighttime operations in and out of the facility as necessary for refueling, the airport is limited to daytime hours. Still, commercial drone operators are required to file a notice with the FAA that they are operating in a particular area, she said. The rules regarding personal drone use near smaller airports have changed, Helm added. “Before, people would always call and ask for permission to use drones near our facility. But, because we’re considered uncontrolled airspace it’s kind of a gray area regarding where people can fly their drones,” she said. “It’s certainly not recommended, but we have no authority to tell them not to.” Hey, look up there! One resident who has reported seeing the drones is Michael McCallum. The Oasis Creek resident said he first noticed the blinking red, white and green lights at different locations and at various heights over town from his vantage point high on the hillside above Traver Trail in north Glenwood late last week. “Some are very high that look like satellites, and others are lower and you can hear them,” he said. “They appear to be flying in straight lines, but no particular pattern.” McCallum said he saw them again Wednesday night, but the activity seems to be limited to clear, still nights with no wind. And, he said he’s pointed them out to others, including a police officer acquaintance, who affirmed what he was observing. “It seems like they’re programmed to follow a line, and they don’t vary,” McCallum said. With the increasing popularity of drones and constant technological advances, rules around both personal and commercial drone use have been the subject of recent public education programs. In summer 2019, the Glenwood Airport, Rifle Center of Excellence and the Glenwood Springs Fire Department hosted a drone education seminar to discuss safety, regulations, licensing and privacy issues. Like a lot of firefighting agencies, Glenwood Fire has started using drones for different types of firefighting applications. The Fire Department now has six licensed drone pilots, including Chief Gary Tillotson. He said the rules are pretty clear about any drone use, but especially at night. “You can fly at night, but you have to have that waiver from the FAA to do it,” Tillotson said. And, “military action aside,” all unmanned aircraft are supposed to be in visual control at all times, whether that’s the person directly at the controls, or an observer who is communicating with the pilot. The department has four of the smaller-platform drones, including three with thermal imaging capability, which is crucial for firefighting work, Tillotson said. Education opportunity Josh Allison is an engineer with Glenwood Fire, and also has a private drone photography business, Action Sports Drone, on the side. Allison said he, too, has heard from others about the nighttime drones over Glenwood, though he hadn’t seen them himself. He said the activity sounds very similar to what was happening in northeast Colorado late last year. The Denver Post reported on the sightings over Yuma and Phillips counties, which involved multiple drones with six-foot wingspans flying about 200 feet to 300 feet in the air and following patterns over what appeared to be set, 25-mile-square areas. Allison said he knows of no hobbyist or commercial pilots in this area who are capable of operating multiple drones at night at different heights. The night waiver process is an involved one, he said. “For me to get a waiver to fly at night, it takes about 30 days,” he noted, though the fire department and other public agencies can receive special emergency waivers. The largest allowed commercial drone under FAA regulations is 55 pounds. For comparison, the fire department drones are slightly less than 5 pounds. The commercial waivers also require that the operator disclose what it is they’re doing. And, a single pilot is not supposed to operate multiple drones, Allison said. But, the FAA doesn’t have the manpower to track and follow all drone activity, commercial or otherwise, so a lot of drones do fly under the radar, so to speak, he said. “Private industry breaks the rules all the time, and sometimes they don’t even know it,” said Allison, who has built an education component into his own business to help explain the rules to other operators. “It does make it hard when the rules get broken, because then the FAA tightens down on everybody, and it makes it difficult for me to operate commercially.” Some of the pets at Nuzzles & Co. looking for love These animals are available to be seen at the Nuzzles & Co. Adoption Center and Rescue Ranch. Our Adoption Center is open everyday from noon to 6 p.m. It is located in the Outlets Park City in Kimball Junction. Our Rescue Ranch is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5p.m., and closed Mondays. The Rescue Ranch is located at 6466 N. Highview Road in Peoa. Cocoa Donnie Hank Herzon This sweet little gal is very Cocoa. She loves attention and loves to go for walks. She prefers a home without dogs but is okay around cats. She would be best in a home with children over the age of 5. Come and meet this sweet little gal today! Meet Donnie, this little guy is 3 years old and a little shy at first but is very sweet. Donnie prefers to be held in your arms, but he also walks well on a leash. He would do well in a home with other small dogs and cats, and older children. Meet Hank! This little guy is shy at first but once he warms up he is a complete sweetheart. Hank is looking for a home to give him plenty of love but also take him on lots of adventures. He is good with cats and other small dogs. Herzon is a cute little 12 week old lab mix puppy. He loves to be held, gets along with other dogs and would make a great addition to any active family. He will probably grow up to be a medium sized doggo. Blanche Dustin Gwen Wendy This love bug is Blanche! She loves to give nose bops and get lots of pets. She is a small girl with the most beautiful orange tabby coat. Come by the Adoption Center and meet her today! Dustin is a sweet little 6 month old tabby kitten. He has the fluffiest fur and a grumpy face. He loves to be held and play. He gets along with other playful cats and could be good with a nice dog, with a slow introduction. Gwen is a beautiful five-yearold long haired tortie and white. We rescued Gwen from one of our shelter partners in December. She’s incredibly sweet, and she would be a great addition to any cat lover’s home. Wendy is a sweet and affectionate older kitten. She was the smallest of her litter, but has now blossomed into a beautiful teenager!! She’s a bit on the shy side, but loves to cuddle and lay in her person’s lap. While in foster care, she was great around smaller dogs. Wanted: Volunteers These Organizations are looking for volunteers. If you would like to include your group in this section, please email information to copyeditor@parkrecord.com. Please limit your entry to no more than 75 words Park City Museum Do you love history and Park City? Are you interested in furthering your involvement in the community? The Park City Museum needs volunteers to help install and take down traveling exhibits, catalog and process collection items, assist in the Research Library, lead both adult tours and school group programs, and assist as gallery guides. Please contact Jenette Purdy at the Park City Museum for more information: 435-649-7457 or education@parkcityhistory.org. waste, free street festival every Sunday from June 3rd – September 23rd. Volunteer for one Sunday or more, stay for the morning or stay all day. Bring a buddy, a grandchild, or a neighbor and qualify for fun prizes and a free lunch while you serve your community and make new friends. It’s the best volunteer gig in town! Call Beth at 435-649-5151 or sign up at www.parksillysundaymarket.com/apply/ volunteers. Park City READS Park City READS (Recognizing, Educating and Advocating for Dyslexic Students) promotes elevating literacy through early identification of struggling readers, effective reading interventions, and appropriate classroom accommodations. Park City READS helps people navigate through diagnostic testing, school interventions, tutoring, and technology resources. Membership is free and open to the public. For information about volunteer opportunities, contact ParkCityREADS@gmail.com or search for PC READS on Facebook. PCCAPS Mentors PCCAPS, the successful business and education collaboration for Park City High School juniors and seniors, is seeking mentors with skills in software and web development, business, digital design, and engineering for highly motivated students completing real projects for local and international businesses such as RAMP, Rockwell-Collins, Adobe, Skull Candy and many more. Help develop students for success in the 21st century global workforce. Participate once, weekly, or monthly, your choice. Visit parkcitycaps.com, contact lyanderson@ pcschools.us or call 435-659-4847. Park Silly Sunday Market Join the Park Silly Family this year and be a part of Utah’s first zero For a full list of volunteer opportunities, visit parkrecord.com/volunteers |