The first-ever National Drone Safety Awareness Week was sponsored by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in November 2019. The weeklong event brought the public and drone enthusiasts together.
At the event held in Las Vegas, drone pilots, the public, and novices interested in flying drones as a hobby, learned about the latest drone safety operations. Each day focused on a specific area, and drone enthusiasts could share their drone safety stories and successes through social media. They also created social media campaigns by using the social media toolkit supplied by the FAA.
Drone safety is not only the FAA’s responsibility; it is everyone’s. Therefore, anyone could participate in various means.
- Local drone organizations, officials, political leaders interested in drone safety, and constituents were invited to hosted drone safety meetings.
- Social media campaigns addressed drone safety using social media platforms.
- Drone flight demonstrations visually educated the audience about the latest and best drone practices. These demos also addressed drone safety when hosting a drone race and drones carrying cargo.
- STEM education taught kids about drone safety, job skill development, and future opportunities.
Drone Safety Themes and Focus Areas
Safety themes like “Nothing to Fear Drones are Here,” License and Registration, Please,” and “The Sky’s the Limit” communicated how safe drones are and the role drones play in keeping communities safe. With drones becoming more popular recreationally and commercially, the opportunities to use drones are also expanding.
The focus areas were:
- Public Safety and Security. The emphasis was on how drones save lives and how public safety agencies use drones to make communities safer.
- Photography, Real Estate, Insurance. The way drones help the insurance industry access damage and how drone photography plays a role in helping small business owners were demonstrated.
- Infrastructure and Agriculture. The focus was on showing the public how drones play an essential role in infrastructure inspections, removing human risks from hazardous jobs, and how drone tracking and monitoring helps the agricultural industry.
- Commercial and Medial Package Delivery. Organizations and industries use drones to deliver packages, especially in remote areas.
- Education and STEM. The day focused on students inspiring them to study science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Recreational Flyers. Two days were set aside for fun and to share recreational best practices with hobbyists.