The Best Damn Selfie-Drone Story of 2018

As the year comes to a close, we can look forward to the now perfunctory stories and statements from the drone shamans, gurus, soothsayers, tealeaf readers, water gipsies, and charlatans praising themselves for their valuable insights and forecasts used to snooker and beguile the gullible out of their earnest money. After reading some of these frothy guest posts and quotes, I am left wondering if these VC investment funds are just looking for large write-offs and/or Government contract profit write-downs.

December was a big month in drones. Besides the SUSB Pancake breakfast/Drone Symposium, Boulevard of Broken Dreams drone display, we had the bemusing Gatwick Christmas cock-up.  Someone put together a nice video in August that draws some uncanny parallels with the UK incident, excluding the aliens and UFOs of course.

Springtime for Hitler and AeroScope –

https://youtu.be/Y1sA-dMoEes

What do we look forward to in 2019 besides a resurgence of false hope? Well, not much for those of you that used to find enjoyment and relaxation in the RC hobby. The unaffiliated (federally-mandated) member is poked or possibly stuffed depending upon which side of the pond you may reside. Don’t let it get you down if you have tens of thousands of dollars wrapped up in gas turbines; spectators find it way more exciting to be in the action than just observe from a safe altitude. Besides, who doesn’t love the smell of Jet A1 exhaust straight off of the tailpipe? You glider enthusiasts can just half the High Start and do the Limbo Rock competitions until the administrator needs to make a politically-expedient new rule limiting your freedoms to less than 400’ AGL.

While on the loss of freedom for the hobbyist and viability for the commercial end-user: I’ve been encouraged by the community to throw my hat in the ring as a possible candidate for the reenergized Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). Folks know that I have worked tirelessly as an advocate for small business, jobs, and STE(A)M education, focusing on the domestic front first, of course, but with a global level playing field in mind—if we hope (falsely or otherwise) to realize the often-parroted drone-saving-the-world scenario.

If that wasn’t enough, there is even more good news, as there are plans in the works to make back the hundreds of millions of dollars lost on FARM DRONES with CONSTRUCTION DRONES in 2019!