AV NEWS: Drone Parks

With the continuing boom in drone sales, Christmas 2017 will bring in whole new crop of U.S. drone owners. Many if not most of these new drone owners live in large cities, where finding a place to fly a drone can be difficult, especially for first-time pilots. While ongoing technological improvements are making consumer drones easier and easier for beginning pilots to master, for many of those opening their new holiday gift their first question will be “where can I fly my drone?" As Tyler Mason of AirVuz News tells us, a solution may be coming to a city near you. Nick Madincea was an intern at a law firm in 2015 when he first had the idea for Drone Parks Worldwide. It wasn’t until he connected with Marjorie Ferrone, however, that the idea became a reality. Ferrone, who was first introduced to drones while attending United States Naval Academy, found herself wanting to do something in the drone industry. Needless to say, she was very excited when Miadincea pitched his idea. The idea of Drone Parks Worldwide is to create indoor spaces for pilots to fly. The target audience is anywhere from first-time pilots to advanced first person view (FPV) drone racers. Those who have never flown a quadcopter drone before can learn on the spot, with all the necessary equipment provided. Those well-versed in FPV flying can race on a course that changes regularly. The site of the first park in Houston has yet to be established, but Madincea says they’re targeting a facility in the size range of 15,000 to 35,000 square feet, with at least 12-foot high ceilings. Since the drone flying takes place indoors, the activity is exempt from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations regarding unmanned aerial vehicles. Madincea and Ferrone launched a Kickstarter campaign in November, hoping to raise more than $60,000 to get Drone Parks Worldwide off the ground. After opening the initial park in Houston, duo has plans to grow throughout the United States.