Drone News Roundup: Drone Video of Collapsed Highway 1, Drones at Ski Resorts, and More!

This week we’re covering a drone video of a collapsed section of Highway 1 in northern California that shows just how extensive the damage was.

We’re also covering a video from DJI highlighting the unique value that drones have provided to a ski resort in the French Alps, a new video from PBS about FPV drones, the controversy that proposed drone legislation has created in Mississippi, and a new six-part webinar series on drone inspections from Flyability and MFE Rentals.

Now let’s get to the links!

Drone Footage Shows Collapse of Highway 1 Near Big Sur

Following heavy rains, a large section of Highway 1 located near Big Sur washed completely away. No one was injured since the road had already been closed as part of the Monterey County’s evacuation order. Landslides were made more likely in the area due to the Dolan Fire, which burned over 128,000 acres of forest there in the fall, causing erosion and creating instability in the hillsides above the highway.

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New Video from DJI Highlights Unique Ski Resort Use Cases for Drones

This new video from DJI highlights the unique ways drones are being used at the Val Thorens ski resort in the French Alps. The resort is located in the largest ski area in the world, with over 370 miles (600 kilometers) of ski runs. Given the heavy snowfall there, the area is subject to the constant threat of avalanches. Watch the video to see how the resort’s Ski Patrol uses drones to locate missing people, to investigate the potential threat of avalanches, and to scout ski trails to ensure they are safe to use.

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PBS Video Showcases the Physics and the Wonderment of Flying FPV

Featuring beautiful FPV footage and the two-time DRL Champion Jordan “Jet” Temkin, this video highlighting FPV drone flying and racing from PBS Terra is one of the best things we’ve seen this week. The video covers the laws of physics and the drone mechanics that make FPV flying work, but it also conveys the sheer wonderment of flying in First Person View. Take a few minutes to learn more about how FPV flying works, and to be reminded of just how awesome it is that we can do it at all.

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Drone Service Providers Alliance Raises Alarm about Overreach of Proposed Mississippi Drone Laws

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Two laws under consideration in Mississippi have the Drone Service Providers Alliance (DSPA) very concerned, and with good reason. One of the two laws, called Senate Bill 2262, would allow landowners to own the airspace above their land, creating “private airspace” that could then be leased exclusively to paying parties.

That law doesn’t look like it will pass (in part because the federal government controls the national airspace) but another bill, called HB 291, looks like it may actually be turned into law. 291 proposes some extreme limits on where you can fly a drone, including prohibiting flight near “any facility marked with a sign” or “any facility completely enclosed by a fence.” Long story short, the wording is so general that it could be interpreted to prohibit flying a drone almost anywhere in the state. Click the link below to learn more about these two bills and how you can share your concerns with lawmakers in Mississippi.

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Flyability and MFE Rentals Launch Six-Part Webinar Series on Drone Inspections

Photo credit: Flyability

2021 is the year of drone inspections, according to Flyability and MFE Rentals. In a six-part webinar series, the company known for its unique caged drones will highlight benefits, use cases, and technology for both indoor and outdoor drone inspections. Although Flyability only makes drones for indoor inspections, a recent press release shares that the company wants to educate people about all the ways drones can be used for inspections, not just the use cases for which it has solutions. The first webinar in the series is scheduled for next Thursday, February 11, at 10 A.M. EST, and will focus on the benefits of using drones in inspections, with a focus on savings and safety.

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