Urgent Request: Hurricane Florence Disaster Response Pilots

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Disaster Response Pilots Needed in SC, NC and VA
**Standby Pay Available as Early as Today for Some Local Pilots**

As we watch the weather and see Hurricane Florence develop, we keep all of those potentially affected in our thoughts and prayers. We hope you and your families are safe and taking all the precautions you can. As Floridians we understand hurricanes, the damage they create and the lives they disrupt.

If there are any drone operators that are interested in assisting with search and rescue, power line failure / restoration or anything else related to public safety or benefitting the repair of storm damage, let us know. We have initiated a list of pilots both in the area of concern as well as those who are willing to travel for the recovery efforts.

To get on the list or to get more details about the timing, equipment requirements or the pay, register on our site and we will call you to talk specifics: Pilot Network Registration

You can also email us directly at [email protected] (Sky Source Aerial is the service division of Florida Drone Supply).

Pilot compensation:

Daily Rate: $500.00
Daily rate paid for each day you are deployed.

Per Diem: $100.00

A daily rate for incidentals, meals, etc. No receipts are required.

Mobilization Fee: $350.00

This is a 1 time fee to cover any costs to get you to the site and ready to fly.

Standby Rate: $400.00
Many times our clients will pay pilots to be "on-call" and ready to deploy. When standing by you need to be able to arrive ready to fly with an 8 hour notice.

Fuel: Varies
Depending upon the contract, the pilot may or may not receive a daily fuel credit - and some clients provide fuel trucks for us to fill up from at no charge.

In order to add you to our list, we need your primary aircraft equipment (prefer P4P or better - minimum of 20mp sensor is a must), and a copy of your FAA Part 107 certificate number.

Due to the high call volume, please primarily utilize email; please email us directly at [email protected](Sky Source Aerial is the service division of Florida Drone Supply).

We are assessing and building our inventory of equipment related to the effort. From weatherproof M200s and M210s (and their weather sealed batteries), Inspires, Phantoms, Mavic 2s, all other batteries, CrystalSky monitors (and extra batteries) - both new and our dealer demos of all those items. We will standby with everything we have to make it available and ready to be put to work.

Wishing everyone the best…
 
Are there any costs associated with joining your network?
No - none at all. In fact there is a little known benefit of being able to purchase items from Florida Drone Supply at a discount (including all new release items as well). We don't promote that, but it does exist.
 
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We just upped are inventory on Phantom Rain, In stock and ready to ship. Wet Suits to seal your Phantom 4 series drones from the water.. Will discount you , just let us know your hurricane bound. Phantomrain.org
God Speed to the 107

Approved Vendor
Wet Suits designed to get you into and out of the storm for the Phantom 4 / Phantom 4 pro / Phantom v2
 
@Florida Drone Supply thank you for the support and input.
You are very welcome. We are also in a hurricane prone state and know the anxiety that watching the storm track every 3 hours brings. We hope to be able to deploy as many resources as possible to assist in a quick recovery. The new question is going to be the FAA call from yesterday.......lots to sort out.
 
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You are very welcome. We are also in a hurricane prone state and know the anxiety that watching the storm track every 3 hours brings. We hope to be able to deploy as many resources as possible to assist in a quick recovery. The new question is going to be the FAA call from yesterday.......lots to sort out.

Can you share a link to the info from yesterday you are referring to? My understanding is that DC is debating drone regulation this week. Thanks!
 
You are very welcome. We are also in a hurricane prone state and know the anxiety that watching the storm track every 3 hours brings. We hope to be able to deploy as many resources as possible to assist in a quick recovery. The new question is going to be the FAA call from yesterday.......lots to sort out.


Did you see where the FAA just announced that they ARE going to initiate TFR's upon Florence making land fall? That's the opposite of what they noted yesterday IIRC.
 
Both the FAA and Governor of NC have sent out strong warnings about flying during/after the storm. NC has been declared a disaster area for many days now, and the FAA says we cannot fly without special permission, even if THERE IS NO TFR.

Just a warning to avoid new issues
 
Good luck and thanks to all for contribution of your efforts. If allowed and deployed, this could be a very useful tool. If nothing else, I hope someone in that area who is participating in some way can document and then write about it for Offices of Emergency Service and to promote the use of sUAS as very useful tools as appropriate in a given situation.
 
Having compiled a list of pilots willing to work for $200/day, why would you pay $500 a day?
IMG_2117.PNG
 
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Seems to me that Florida Drone Supply jumped the gun a bit issuing an urgent request for pilots when they won't be allowed to fly. Just saying.


Why would you NOT operate with a sense of urgency and be prepared when/If the need arises?

Mobilizing a patchwork crew requires a LOT of time and backroom work so it does take DAYS to get people onboarded and credentials verified. Time is of the essence so IMHO urgent was used appropriately here by @Florida Drone Supply
 
I'd like to point out that in my area at least most first response organizations are deploying drones internally, so integration with freelance remote pilots could create logistic nightmares.

Well you most certainly have a unique situation in your area. While many areas are "experimenting" with aUAS internally few have the manpower and/or budget for an experienced and seasoned sUAS operator to be on staff. Even a department deployable sUAS does not "automatically" make them trained and experienced enough to be deployable... I know because I train these individuals in the southeast.

Here in NC we have a local team, a regional team and a State team. I can assure you that none of these are hobby/amateur operators (our min requirements can be mind boggling to say the least) but none-the-less many of us are what you might call Free-Lance operations.

Also I think (only FDS can confirm this) you're mixing two different types of storm response. During Emergency Services deployment and Post Emergency Services deployment. Night and day difference.

While I can see where FDS could cause/enter some rough waters if they were trying to deploy during the storm/incident I do believe what they are doing is preparing for post-storm response for infrastructure inspections. They aren't trying to build a team to come to NC to work during the heat of the moment in Emergency Services capacity.
 
I participated in the South Texas Cell tower inspection package that recently occurred. I flew several towers each day, easily enough to cover expenses +profit.

There was plenty of towers to fly and as many as I could do in a day. I could have done more if I could have been more efficient, or wiling to rush around. I was just taking my time enjoying myself.

So, the questions becomes:

Would I fly towers for SSA again? Absolutely.
They are a good bunch of folks that got their arms around a project and passed work on to other pilots. That means a lot in my book.

Sean
 
Well you most certainly have a unique situation in your area. While many areas are "experimenting" with aUAS internally few have the manpower and/or budget for an experienced and seasoned sUAS operator to be on staff. Even a department deployable sUAS does not "automatically" make them trained and experienced enough to be deployable... I know because I train these individuals in the southeast.

Here in NC we have a local team, a regional team and a State team. I can assure you that none of these are hobby/amateur operators (our min requirements can be mind boggling to say the least) but none-the-less many of us are what you might call Free-Lance operations.

Also I think (only FDS can confirm this) you're mixing two different types of storm response. During Emergency Services deployment and Post Emergency Services deployment. Night and day difference.

While I can see where FDS could cause/enter some rough waters if they were trying to deploy during the storm/incident I do believe what they are doing is preparing for post-storm response for infrastructure inspections. They aren't trying to build a team to come to NC to work during the heat of the moment in Emergency Services capacity.

Thanks for your comments Allen, I was not personally involved in the NC deployment preparations but I do know that a lot of people were spending many hours and days planning for many scenarios for this weather event to assist if needed. I have been in Texas working another telecom project since before the storm.

Jim
 
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I participated in the South Texas Cell tower inspection package that recently occurred. I flew several towers each day, easily enough to cover expenses +profit.

There was plenty of towers to fly and as many as I could do in a day. I could have done more if I could have been more efficient, or wiling to rush around. I was just taking my time enjoying myself.

So, the questions becomes:

Would I fly towers for SSA again? Absolutely.
They are a good bunch of folks that got their arms around a project and passed work on to other pilots. That means a lot in my book.

Sean

Thanks Sean, it was a pleasure to work with you and I hope to do so again in the future.

Jim
 
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