Florida

A 52-year-old man who shot down a high-end DJI drone belonging to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Florida has been sentenced to four years in federal prison. Here’s the whole story…

In a case of disruptive technology promising transformative disruption of disrupting business practices, Florida drone company Sustainable Skylines says it will transform what many beachgoers consider the annoying activity of aerial banner advertising – and, somehow, make it better.

Today, a rule goes into effect that bans Florida government agencies from using drones made by a “foreign country of concern,” which, if you’ve been following the drone regulation space for any amount of time, practically means DJI – and police agencies are not happy about it.

Tampa Bay drone and robotic services company FLYMOTION has joined the expanding list of homegrown and national businesses and emergency responder organizations now hard at work to locate and care for survivors, and assist large areas of southwest Florida start recovering from the devastating passage of Hurricane Ian.

Miami-based Airborne Response says it has completed more than 500 drone flights in Florida in the last few days on behalf of its customers. The drone company is working with critical infrastructure providers to help assess damage, restore power, and process insurance claims in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Ian, which made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, has left catastrophic damage in its wake. As rescue crews and disaster relief groups jump-start recovery in the region, drones have emerged as a critical force multiplier for damage assessment and search and rescue efforts.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), an electric utility that serves more than 12 million people in Florida, says its $1.2 million FPLAir One drone is ready for primetime. The launch of the FPLAir One, the utility adds, is a milestone in itself because no other uncrewed aircraft of its size has ever been used before for commercial purposes outside of an FAA test site.

Researchers involved in a unique wildlife project are flying drones in an effort to track invasive Burmese pythons that are infesting the Everglades and other natural areas of Florida.

Thirty years. That’s how long 51-year-old Wendell Doyle Goney could spend in federal prison if he’s proven guilty. His crime? Destruction of a drone belonging to Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

A school of crevalle jack has showcased a mesmerizing display of artistic swimming right off the shores of Juno Beach in Florida. Swimming in perfect synchronization to create a heart-shaped formation, the fish look especially stunning in the glistening turquoise waters.

Florida’s Tampa Bay has been battling toxic red tide bloom for weeks now. Hundreds of tons of dead fish and other marine organisms, as well as debris, have been washing ashore routinely, causing trouble for beachgoers. So now, some counties are turning to modern technology solutions like drones to keep their beaches clean.

A drone belonging to Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Florida met an untimely death this week when a man opened gunfire at it in midair. Why? He thought the drone was sent to harass him.

With 24 people confirmed dead and 121 still unaccounted for, the still-standing portion of the Champlain Towers condominium building in Surfside, Florida, has now been demolished. Meanwhile, a drone video released by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue department before the demolition gives a glimpse of the rescue and recovery efforts at the site of the terrible tragedy.

When Dan Osterhout took his drone out for a spin this week, he didn’t know he would end up helping a missing person’s family find some closure. But the upside-down car submerged in a pond that his drone spotted could very well unravel the mystery of what happened to a Florida man 12 years ago.

A United States Air Force target training drone surprised beachgoers last week when it washed up on a Florida beach. The aerial target drone is a part of the US Air Force’s weapons system evaluation program and was quickly picked up by the Air Force after being alerted to it.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida was able to locate a fleeing suspect with the help of its drone in the air watching over him until officers were able to get to him and take him into custody. The man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill, with another charge in a neighboring county.

Maybe it’s the lack of tourists. Maybe it’s the cooler weather. It’s not clear what brought them all together. But last week, a photographer in St. Petersburg, Florida, captured the unusual sight of hundreds of manatees chilling with dolphins.

FBI Tampa has shared online that an Orlando man has been charged for allegedly flying his drone in restricted airspace set up for Super Bowl LV, according to a newly filed criminal complaint. If convicted, Henry Alejandro Jimenez could face up to one year in federal prison.

West Palm Beach Lakes High School, Florida, has just received a massive boost to its drone program after FPL donated $20,000 in drones and will offer drone classes to the students. The new program is expected to launch during the 2021-2022 school year.

Florida could see an increase in the number of police and government drones flying around under a new bill approved by a Senate committee. The bill will allow the related agencies to use drones for limited uses, including traffic management and natural disaster response.

A pilot faces a year in federal prison for flying a drone during Super Bowl week. One year in prison for flying a drone in a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) or No Drone Zone? It is becoming clear that the FBI and the FAA are done issuing warnings and are starting to show their teeth, as they said they would about a week ago.

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