The creation of an awesome story

It all started when I left

I went home to Michigan for Easter to visit family and then my business partner and I drove to Las Vegas in two days. The first day we drove out to meet with T.J. Diaz for the Drone Pavilion field trip out to El Dorado mine. We followed the GPS to a dirt turn off and we drove and drove and drone, heading to a canyon and the road started getting softer and more difficult when we came around a bend and saw two pickups with their drivers and we let them know where we are? They responded “Are you with those broadcasters?” They told us to go back and to turn left and then right and we will see the mine. We parked and there were about four different groups throughout the western style town. We were told that the XFly group had left. Then Manny from UVU told us that T.J. Diaz was down behind one of the barns. We went down and he introduced me to his partner Ziv. We watched T.J. take one of his cinematography student UAS pilot’s octocopter out for its shakedown flight.  Then I stood next to a guy flying his Phantom FPV, out almost two miles. Then someone else had an Inspire and it just launched off of the ground at about a 45 degree angle. Then another gentleman broke out a space aged looking quad-rotor called a “Yuneek” the operator flipped it around trying to get it to synchronize with a GPS satellite, it buzzed and whistled until all of the lights turned green. Then he flew it around and it sounded as if it was a slower RPM than the Phantoms we have heard flying. Then as we watched the octocopter flying around on its’ shakedown flight we heard a load crashing sound and we saw the “Yuneek” crash into a mock plane crash.   

Suggestions

I would have liked to have seen a eight by ten foot, high resolution video wall on a cart to be able to see what the Phantom that was out nearly two mile flying FPV. I would also want to see a drone obstacle course for those manufactures and pilots who want to show off their capabilities.

Monday

On Monday I introduced Michael Creamer of QCTV. I introduced him to T.J. Diaz and we talked about data connectivity with a suitcase sized case. Then we got to listen to Lisa Ellman the FAA Attorney talk about the FAA recommended guidelines what was allowed and how applications which has been granted COAs and exemptions were more apt to be approved. I always get hung up on how hobby flight over land owned by the operator or where the operator has been given permission, under 55lbs, below 500 feet, within line of sight and outside of five miles from an active airfield is legal but operations conducted under these same exact criteria are not authorized where there is financial compensation. When it comes to Jurisdiction, I say that on private property, with property owner’s authorization there is nothing the FAA can say about UAS operations and she said that the FAA claims jurisdiction from six inches and up. I countered with “Law enforcement doesn’t enforce guidelines. If the FAA fines or prosecutes outside of airport runways and approaches, they convictions won't hold to appeal, unless the municipality or agencies like the parks department prosecute for violation of their ordinances. Afterwards I felt bad about being confrontational and I wrote her an apology via email. Unlike FAA cease and desist orders I hope she is able to recognize it. I have her email and I will refer her to anyone who is attempting to file for exemptions or COAs.

Then T.J. Diaz asked Michael Creamer to speak on his suitcase sized, remote data transmission solution to the NAB Show Broadcast Engineering Conference. He had all of the attendees sitting on the edge of their seats. The funny part with me is that he wasn’t trying to hype or sell at all, he was just stating the facts about the technology available. Well I will promote and sell for him. Michael has a system called “Little Blue” remote broadcast trailer. Michael is selling this technology for an extreme discount because since he took his position with QCTV hasn’t been able to utilize his creation.

Tuesday

T.J. Diaz told me he wanted me to talk to someone, the Provost for the Unmanned Vehicle University John Minor. T.J. introduced us and John told me “We are getting a lot of demand to bring back the fixed winged training program. We have centralized the VTOL training in Phoenix but we want to offer the fixed wing training nationwide. Now I already had my team lined up because T.J. had informed me that there wasn’t enough approved airspace available for training. Right away I thought of my retired SEAL buddies who have 100+ acres they use for range facilities. He asked me to help line up facilities to conduct the UVU training program. After 3:30PM we left for San Diego but T.J. Diaz participated in a panel with Lisa Ellman and several experts.

Wednesday

I got into San Diego around 11:00PM, I got a good night sleep and called all of my buddies from cross the country out the possibilities of hosting the UVU fixed winged training at their facilities and they were all receptive. I even picked up two others, one in San Diego and the other in Arizona. The San Diego facility used to have a COA. Then I attended the California Land Surveyor’s Association meeting in Carlsbad. I was to follow Dave Woolley a well-respected and published surveyor. He started off talking about how technology has caused reduction of survey jobs. I wasn’t feeling loved but then he started ranting on how the model of the industry is effecting it as much or more as technology. He made me think. He finished with encouraging these surveyors to engage this new technology and master it. I got up and told my story and promoted T.J. Diaz, XFly, X-Fold technology and UVU. I talked about how Stampede Global has divided UVU into the pilot training, the masters and doctorate program and research and development. I talked about Pix4D and offered trial, seven day licenses to those surveyors who were serious and would be willing to purchase the full license. I told them “If you just want the monthly lease, go online and buy it!” Then I talked about how Boy Scouts and 4-H have geospatial, aviation and surveying categories that drones are being used now to achieve. I suggested that if I were a surveyor, I would become a Scout master and host a Geospatial 4-H group and cultivate my own work force. I would offer to UAS professionals who were only doing cinematography and offer them my expertise for CAD and quality control of their data and get paid on their hustle. At the end of the meeting eight surveyors lined up for trial versions of Pix4D. I fell asleep that night sending them their licenses and composing emails with links to Pix4D.

Thursday

I woke up and finished emailing my emails and followed up with the surveyors and composed an email to John Minor describing the relationships with the owners of the land and facilities I have lined up for the UVU fixed winged UAS pilot training.

On the agenda Friday

I have some follow up on the business that has been lined up for Pix4D for surveyors and the fixed wing training facilities. I have been hustling for the last three years with very little monetary benefit for my efforts but I can say that I can be considered a subject matter export. I cannot claim all the positive developments are due to hard and persistence but I have to give credit to T.J. Diaz with his knowledge and expertise, his competence is unrivalled. His competence gives me confidence and that confidence is would has my contacts ready to commit and except this technology.