FAA to host big “Drone Safety Awareness Week” next month
The Federal Aviation Administration has a new marketing campaign called Drone Safety Awareness Week in hopes that the general public of drone users might finally be a little more aware of drone safety.
The FAA in November will host its first-ever National Drone Safety Awareness Week. The week is all a part of the FAA’s family of safety campaigns, such as the Know Before You Fly educational campaign (a website created jointly by AUVSI, the FAA and the AMA with maps that help users know if they can fly their drone in a certain area), and the UAS Safety Team.
The 2019 National Drone Safety Awareness Week will run Nov. 4-10. But rather than host big events themselves, it seems the FAA hopes the industry (that could be local flying clubs, racing teams, big companies, small startups, and more) will host their own events.
“The easiest way to participate in National Drone Safety Awareness Week is to plan and host an event,” according to an FAA memo. “Consider reaching out to the FAA and the Department of Transportation (DOT), elected officials, local leaders, and stakeholders who can help cross-promote your messages and initiatives.”
But hosting an event is not exactly easy. If a live event isn’t up your alley, the FAA’s memo also encouraged participating by “engaging friends and followers via social media campaigns” and using the #DroneWeek.
Since the event runs for a week, the FAA has plans to highlight various aspects of safety within the industry for each day. Here’s their schedule:
Monday, Nov. 4: Public Safety and Security
- Highlight how public safety agencies are using drones to make our communities safer
- Emphasize how drones save lives
Tuesday, Nov. 5: Business – Photography, Real Estate, Insurance
- Highlight how drone photography is helping small business owners, like photographers and real estate agents
- Highlight how drones are helping the insurance industry assess damage
Wednesday, Nov. 6: Business – Infrastructure and Agriculture
- Drones are helping inspect infrastructure, like railway tracks, power lines, and pipelines
- Drones remove the human risk in hazardous jobs
- Drones are helping monitor and track agriculture
Thursday, Nov. 7: Business – Commercial and Medical Package Delivery
- Highlight current partnerships the FAA has with organizations or industry to tackle numerous operational concepts
- The next package you receive may come via drone
Friday, Nov. 8: Education and STEM
- Focus on educational events and inspiring students to study science, technology, engineering and math
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 9 and 10: Recreational Flyers
- Highlight model aircraft and community-based organizations
- Share recreational best practices
All of those days will also show off various safety themes, such as licensing, registration, testing, remote ID and more.
This is not the first time the FAA has put together marketing campaigns in hopes of better promoting best drone practices.
An advertising campaign titled “Even the Sky Has Limits: Learn the Drone Laws” consisted of a website that aimed to clarify the confusing (and often changing) drone laws, but the website itself was a tad confusing. Last year, the FAA created a drone mascot called Buzzy the Drone. The cartoon drone was met with mixed reactions.
Are you planning to participate in next month’s Drone Safety Awareness Week? If so, how? Leave a comment below!