November 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 5
Teens and drones are reaching new heights these days
By JENNIFER COLTON
Few things make kids as excited
as watching something fly, whether
it’s an airplane, a kite or a leaf fall-
ing from a tree. Remote control
helicopters and flyers have topped
holiday wish lists for a decade, but
in the past few years, flying gad-
gets have earned a specific name:
Drones.
The first point to clear up about
drones is an easy misconception:
They aren’t really toys. A drone is a
type of unmanned aerial vehicle, or
UAV, and effectively using a drone
requires thinking like a pilot – and a
lot of practice.
“A lot of people perceive drones
as a toy – I know I did before I start-
ed working with the industry and
seeing all the creative jobs they’re
doing with drones – but it’s a tool
with various applications,” said Mi-
chael Dinkel, robotics/engineering
instructor at Pendleton High School.
“There are risks, but there are a lot
of possibilities. We don’t even know
all the possibilities yet.”
Dinkel teaches classes on un-
manned aerial systems (UAS), a
term which covers the drone, the
operator, and the communications
between the two. He said people
often ask him what type of drone
they should get, but he tells them
to answer a different question:
What do you want to get out of it?
“If it’s just something for the kids
to fly around the house, I recom-
mend a small micro-drone that’s
cheap and the blades are cheap
when the kids crash them (and they
will),” he said. “If you’re interested
in aerial photography, you need a
higher model.”
If you’ve decided your family
is ready for a drone this holiday
season and you’ve answered the
question of what you hope it will
do, take a few minutes – or an en-
tire afternoon – to sort through the
plethora of options online. Specifi-
cations like weight, flight time, size
and speed can vary greatly. Also
make sure to check the recom-
mended age. For a true drone, the
typical age recommended is 8 or
older – if not 14 or 18.
“Manufacturers have safety rec-
ommendations, and I would really
encourage people to follow those,”
Dinkel said. “Even the micro-drones
are 13 and 14 years and older. If
you’re safe, everyone should be
okay – just do it under adult super-
vision and follow the manufactur-
er’s recommendations.”
The drone and its materials will
also include safety guidelines and
instructions to read before taking to
the skies. Drones can move faster
and turn sharper than you’d expect,
and controls can be very sensitive.
Many drone accidents take place in
the first practices as pilots become
used to their machines, and drones
do come with a high reward and
high risk correlation. Flight-related
injuries include concussions (be-
ing hit by falling drones or run-
ning into objects with eyes to the
sky) to cuts (even covered, those
are blades making them fly). Last
month an Ohio school district had
to send home a warning about
a drone with “voice technology”
attempting to lure children from
playgrounds and sports practices.
Drones have grounded emergency
response to fires – they can inter-
fere with helicopters and tankers,
which is why the area above a fire
is restricted airspace – and caused
concerns about privacy for children
and adults.
Most of those risks have the
same solution as many others
that children face: education and
awareness. Before taking a UAV
for its first spin, children and teens
need to know the laws, the risks,
and what to do when something
goes wrong. That education means
knowing what the state drone laws
are and what areas are restricted
– including national parks and
emergency areas (remember that
comment about fires?). Respecting
privacy and keeping others safe are
also important lessons for pilots to
learn – before taking to the skies.
Once a pilot has mastered the
basic controls and understands the
responsibilities, drones can create
unbeatable photos, do impressive
tricks and offer hours of explora-
tion. They can be used to learn pro-
gramming, navigation, photography
and even virtual reality. Drones
will crash and will need repairs,
and with tutorials available online,
teens can learn basic repairs that
can teach independence, mechan-
ics, engineering and technology.
Through practice and programs –
like the UAS classes at Pendleton
High where students can advance
through being able to design, 3D
model and build their own custom
drones – students may find a great
job, right out of high school.
“Our goal is basically if a student
takes my class for three years in
a row, they’ll be able to take the
(Federal Aviation Administration’s)
Part 107, become a licensed pilot
and get hired by a company as a
professional drone pilot,” Dinkel
said. “Technology is improving,
and that’s creating new jobs and
new applications. There’s so much
happening, we don’t even know
where this is heading. It’s going to
be a good career for some of these
students.”
________
Jennifer Colton is news director of
KOHU and KQFM, and mother of
three, based in Pendleton.