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Drone News Roundup: Big UAV Coach Memorial Day Sale, Largest Drone Education Event Ever, and More!

BY Zacc Dukowitz
23 May 2024

This week we’re covering our big Memorial Day Sale, which is happening now through May 28. Get steep discounts on our drone mapping course, our in-person drone mapping workshops, and our Part 107 test prep course, Drone Pilot Ground School—see all the deals in the first section below.

We’re also covering Aha Education putting on the biggest student drone competition ever, college scholarships from UAV Coach and Commercial UAV Expo, beautiful drone photos of the northern lights, and the Drone First Responders Act proposal to set high tariffs on DJI drones.

Now on to the links!

UAV Coach Memorial Day Sale—Get Discounts on All Our Top Courses

We’re running a big Memorial Day Sale right now through May 28. Here are the deals:

If you’ve been thinking about taking the Part 107 course or improving your drone mapping skills, now’s a great time to take action.

*A portion of the proceeds from our Memorial Day Sale will be donated to the K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit that provides highly-trained service dogs to military veterans in need of support.

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Aha Education Executes Biggest K12 Drone Competition Ever

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Credit: Aha Education

Aha Education recently hosted the biggest drone competition for students ever. Called Drones 4 Water, the event took place over two days at the beginning of this month in San Antonio, TX. 83 teams showed up to compete, made up of about 353 students, an unprecedented number which earned the event an unofficial world record for biggest K12 drone competition. The tagline for the Drones 4 Water competition was Water, the Next Oil, highlighting the important role drones play in water-related inspections in an engaging, fun format. In the competition, students competed in scenarios that simulated real-life drone applications related to water inspections, doing things like inspecting bucket trees for evidence of objects. Aha Education uses drones to interest students in STEM subjects, pioneering early involvement with aerospace careers through its middle and high school “Iconic Drone Education” curriculum.

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College Scholarships: May 31 Deadline to Apply for $1,000 UAV Coach Scholarship + Commercial UAV Expo Scholarship

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Looking for money to fund your college studies? Or for other drone-related opportunities for college students? Make sure to apply to these two drone scholarships:

  • UAV Coach’s Drone Technology College Scholarship provides a one-time award of $1,000 to two rising or current college students every year to support their studies (each student gets $1,000). We’ve been offering the scholarship since 2017. The deadline for 2024 submissions is next Friday, May 31st, 2024 at 11:59p CT. Learn more here and apply here.
  • Commercial UAV Expo has launched a new scholarship called the Path to Leadership Event Scholarship. The scholarship “is dedicated to empowering university students from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about leveraging drones for good.” The scholarship will give three college students a full conference pass and travel stipend to attend Commercial UAV Expo this year. Learn more and apply here.

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Incredible Drone Photos of the Aurora Borealis

 

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A post shared by Kara Murphy (@karaemurphy)

You’ve probably heard stories about the beauty of the aurora borealis, but may never have seen it. Recently these mesmerizing lights were on full display across the night sky in parts of the U.S. and Canada that don’t usually get to see them—and drone pilots got some incredible stills and video footage of the event. Follow the link below to see Sally French’s (The Drone Girl) favorite drone photos and videos of the northern lights everyone’s been talking about, as well as some tips on how to get great drone footage of them if you ever get the chance.

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Drone First Responders Act Proposes High Tariffs for Chinese Drones

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A new bill called the Drones for First Responders (DFR) Act calls for tariffs on Chinese drones. The bill was created by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the same person who helped author the Countering CCP Drones Act, which calls for a complete ban of DJI. (The Countering CCP Drones Act isn’t yet law, but it is actively being considered by Congress.)

Here are the main points in the DFR bill, as provided in a press release from Stefanik:

  • Impose new incrementally increasing tariffs on PRC [People’s Republic of China] drones starting at 30% and increasing by 5% annually
  • Establish a new grant program for first responders, critical infrastructure providers, and farmers and ranchers to purchase secure drones that are manufactured and assembled in the U.S. or allied countries
  • Establish a strengthened rule of origin to require that drones imported to the U.S. not contain critical components that are made in the PRC by 2030.

The name of the bill seems misleading, given that many first responders have clearly expressed concern about losing access to DJI technology. Despite the grant program  the Act proposes, the bill seems like it may do more harm than good by reducing the amount of choice first responders have in the drone technology they purchase. That being said, prominent public safety drone organizations like DRONERESPONDERS and Skyfire Consulting have come out in support of the bill, indicating it may have a better chance of passing than the harsher Countering CCP Drones Act.

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