ASSIST-U.S. Manned Solutions are Best Until the FAA Approves Commercial Domestic Use of Drones

As a provider of aerial imagery and other aviation solutions, ASSIST-U.S. continues to monitor the status of the domestic use of unmanned aerial vehicles (or drones), such as this recent report: FAA Releases New Drone Authorization List.

Thus far, the FAA has not approved any domestic, commercial use of these platforms (which will be true until at least 2015), which makes our manned aerial solutions the most cost-effective and reliable approach for public and private organizations requiring aerial imagery.

Bruce Seibert, company co-founder, discusses the future of the commercial use of drones in the national air space in this white paper.

ASSIST-U.S. Delivers the Aviation Liaison Officer (ALO) seminar to NH Emergency Services Personnel

Despite a major snow storm blanketing the New Hampshire landscape, 12 hardy emergency services personnel attended the ASSIST-U.S. Aviation Liaison Officer (ALO) seminar on January 16, 2013, at the NH Fire Academy training center in Concord, NH.

The seminar was sponsored by the NH Department of Safety, Division of Fire Standards and Training & Emergency Medical Services (NHFSTEMS). It explained the ALO role and concept of operations for emergency services personnel serving or planning to serve in the ALO position. 

Rick Bartle, Director of Aviation Operations at ASSIST-U.S., addressed the following topics that are essential to the smooth and efficient operation of an emergency response unit that needs or intends to use aviation resources and assets:

• Basic aircraft types and operations
• Types of aviation engagements / missions
• Flight operations and landing site considerations
• Communication best practices: aircrew, agencies, the public
• Safety and cost considerations

Participant comments indicate that those attending found the seminar very helpful and useful in understanding their role in the application of aviation resources in their organizations:

• “Very insightful and helpful. I would recommend this class to colleagues.”
• “Overall, excellent reach out to the public safety community! Thanks.”
• “Great seminar, thanks! Lots of new and useful information.”
• “Even though there was a lot of information squeezed into a short amount of time, the information was very knowledgeable and helpful.”

The 3-hour session, which qualified for 4 CEUs, was an overview of a longer 3-day program available through ASSIST-U.S. Anyone interested in the longer program or other courses in our "Aviation Special Missions Training Program (ASMTP) curriculum can contact the company at registrar@assist-us.com.

Fox25 (Boston) Shows ASSIST-U.S. Right Whales Video

In April 2011, ASSIST-U.S. captured some video footage on Cape Cod of a pod of Right Whales feeding and playing, which we subsequently sent to the New England Aquarium, thinking they might be interested in seeing it. 

One of their Right Whale researchers analyzed the video and blogged about what they had learned about the whales, and someone there tweeted about the video to Fox25 in Boston. (That led eventually to the Aquarium hiring our company to support their marine mammal observation project.)

Today (Dec. 10, 2012), Fox25 re-used that video footage as part of its coverage of a campaign being led in New Bedford MA to preserve the Right Whales: "Whale preservation urged at New Bedford meeting."

We are delighted that this video continues to be useful to the marine mammal research community. Read the story here.

Concord, NH, November 28, 2012. ASSIST-U.S. announces the delivery of its  first Aviation Liaison Officer (ALO) Seminar through the NH Dept. of Safety, Division of Fire Standards and Training & Emergency Medical Services (NHFSTEMS), scheduled for January 13, 2013  in Concord NH.

Read an interview with the company founder here, including a brief story about the first ALO course delivered in Sanford ME last July, and about this new course offering here.

“Aviators honor Wilson with ‘missing man formation’ “

Shapleigh, ME, August 2, 2012, “Aviators honor Wilson with ‘missing man formation’ “: Two planes flew a “missing man formation” flyby for Robert Wilson, of Shapleigh, on Saturday, July 28th.
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Eye in the Sky: N.H. company ASSIST-U.S.® working with local officials on aerial reconnaissance”

Sanford, ME, July 12, 2012, “Eye in the Sky: N.H. company ASSIST-U.S.® working with local officials on aerial reconnaissance”: Founder Bruce A. Seibert was interviewed by Fosters.com about our recent support of law enforcement and general aviation in Maine. Read more …

May 29, 2012. “Mt. Washington State Park Hires ASSIST-U.S.®”: ASSIST-U.S.® captured photos of the Mt. Washington State Park and other scenic areas over the Memorial Day week-end.

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