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24 August 2023
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After 78 years of operation, a coal-fired energy plant in Holland, Michigan was imploded on August 10, in front of hundreds of curious spectactors ... and a drone.
The James DeYoung Power Plant building closed in 2017, after providing "affordable and reliable electricity for generations," according to Holland Board Board of Public Works General Manager Dave Koster.
The coal plant had been replaced by Holland Energy Park, which has cut carbon rates in half, lowered rates, and increased power capacity. The city had considered multiple options for the retired plant, but, ultimately, demolishing the structure and selling the land parcel turned out to be the best result for safety and sustainability.
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&ldquo;We are grateful to our team and partners who, through careful planning and responsible remediation, carried out an expert demolition. Clearing the space where James De Young once stood opens new opportunities for the waterfront in Holland,&rdquo; said Koster.
The demolition phase of the decommissioning is expected to come under budget at a cost $5.7 million, including the removal and safe disposal of hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead-based paints.
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<h5>Watch the Implosion</h5>
<h5><iframe style="width: 670px; height: 377px;" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/853420790?h=90e6f5c7ee" width="670" height="377" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></h5>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/853420790">JDY Implosion - Drone</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/hollandbpw">Holland BPW</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.

Drones-eye view of power plant demolition

12 July 2023
Floodwaters finally ebbed in many Vermont cities and towns tortured by a storm that produced two months of rain in just two days. Officials are now focusing on recovery efforts from the disaster that flooded entire areas, trapped people in their homes, closed roads, and slimed businesses with mud and debris.
As is the norm, drones were on the scene to document the carnage...
<h5>Streets of Ludlow, Vermont</h5>
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<h5>Flooding in the Capitol&mdash;Montpelier</h5>
<iframe style="width: 672px; height: 378px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3SVxgUHhJ48" width="672" height="378" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h5>Flooding in the Northeast</h5>
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Drone Footage of Vermont Flooding

29 June 2023
A peek at the 2022 shark series of annual drone videos by <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheMalibuArtist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TheMalibuArtist</a>, who appears to be somewhat obsessed by Great White sharks. All footage captured from above in 4K along the coast of Southern and Central California.
<h5>Watch</h5>
<iframe style="width: 670px; height: 377px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vbJaP1jq9BM" width="670" height="377" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Great White Sharks on the Prowl

Drone Video

Light Shows

Can Drone Shows Replace Fireworks?

Video Reel of the Week

This week's hot video reel is from The Droning Company certified pilot Jason Dileo.
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<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/jason-dileo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON JASON</a>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/RAB6ciANa98IUMWWGbJekgmoGngQygvBlt65Lf0j.jpg" alt="" width="105" height="187" />
<a href="https://www.skyhighaerialproductions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON SKY HIGH AERIAL PRODUCTIONS</a>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/cgnKmISIgKOSCdTrRVwDQz2YT8ZZfVDs4qckxoDo.jpg" alt="" width="128" height="128" />
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Lake Nona By Drone

Enterprise Drones

Most drones have been "fair-weather friends" that take to flight safely in gentle skies. But the just-announced DJI M30 Enterprise is like a drone storm chaser&mdash;a beast that can fly in high winds, pouring rain, and even conditions of snow and ice.
The robost M30 tackles storms without being particularly massive. In fact, it's one of DJI's most portable industrial drones. With its foldable, self-locking arms, the 8.2-pound M30 can fit into a small roller suitcase or a large-size backpack.
While search-and-rescue work in brutal weather conditions is one obvious application of the M30, it is also designed to be an autonomous drone-in-a-box with its own dock that includes an onboard weather station and surveillance cameras, as well as 25-minute automatic fast battery charging. The dock&mdash;which requires dedicated power and Internet access&mdash;can send the M30 on drone missions of up to 4.3 miles away with a maximum flight time of 41 minutes.
Unfortunately, autonomous drone-in-a-box missions in the USA are not yet fully approved by the FAA, which is testing unpiloted-by-an-actual-human flights on a case-by-case basis. The DJI Dock manual explicitly states: "The DJI Dock must be used in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and its advanced functions cannot yet be used in jurisdictions where a human pilot must stay within the drone&rsquo;s line of sight or maintain physical control of the drone by holding a controller."
Obviously, the M30 is not a toy or a hobbyist drone, and its $10,000 and up price clearly spotlights that fact.
CHECK OUT THE M30
<iframe style="width: 683px; height: 384px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ucIm6g9llg" width="683" height="384" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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<a href="https://www.dji.com/matrice-30" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON THE M30</a>
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No Fear of Storms: New DJI M30 Enterprise Can Operate in Heavy Weather

If you want to take a break from news about kamikaze, switchblade, and other lethal drones in Ukraine, check out this show from America's Got Talent Extreme 2022, where contestants <a href="https://verge.aero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Verge Aero</a> deploy drones for good&mdash;a lovely and entertaining light show for presenter Terry Crews; judges Simon Cowell, Nikki Bella, and Travis Pastrana; and the studio audience.
<iframe style="width: 713px; height: 401px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X_jaWDs3PGg" width="713" height="401" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Drone Show Delivers at America's Got Talent Extreme 2022

Drone Operation

Cell tower inspections are getting more popular as a source of income for drone pilots. Check out this drone video inspection of a cell tower performed by The Droning Company member veteran Eric Fort.
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MORE INFO ON ERIC
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/eric-fort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/eric-fort</a>

Cell Tower Assessment by Drone

Drone footage of a section of the town of Borodyanka&mdash;just 37 miles from Kyiv&mdash;from August 2021 and March 2022 show how explosions from the Russian invasion of Ukraine have destroyed the landscape.
<iframe style="width: 724px; height: 407px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5OsdREs3KC4" width="724" height="407" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
OTHER UKRAINE NEWS
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/more-than-a-hobby-ukrainian-drone-enthusiasts-monitor-russian-troops-during-invasion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/more-than-a-hobby-ukrainian-drone-enthusiasts-monitor-russian-troops-during-invasion</a>
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/ukraine-military-gets-into-the-fight-with-turkish-made-tb2-bayraktar-tank-killer-drones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/ukraine-military-gets-into-the-fight-with-turkish-made-tb2-bayraktar-tank-killer-drones</a>
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/amateur-drone-pilots-monitor-ukraine-s-border-with-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/amateur-drone-pilots-monitor-ukraine-s-border-with-russia</a>

A Drone's Eye View of City Destruction From Russian Invasion of Ukraine

As we reported last month, volunteer Ukrainian drone teams&mdash;populated by amateurs, hobbyists, and enthusiasts&mdash;monitored Russian troop movements during the early, pre-invasion stages of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/amateur-drone-pilots-monitor-ukraine-s-border-with-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ IT HERE</a>.
But now that Russian forces have invaded Ukraine, these amateur surveillance groups&mdash;at risk to their own safety&mdash;have continued using their drones to assist the Ukrainian military and have expanded their efforts. The owner of a drone store in Kyiv has even donated more than 300 DJI drones to the cause, while other hobbyists are asking friends and fellow pilots in Poland and across Europe to send drones to assist the volunteer operation.
&ldquo;Why are we doing this? We have no other choice," Denys Sushko of the Kyiv-based DroneUA company told the Associated Press. "This is our land, our home. We try to use absolutely everything that can help protect our country and drones are a great tool for getting real-time data. In Ukraine, no one remains indifferent now. Everyone does what they can.&rdquo;
Before the invasion, DroneUA was looking to offer drones to farmers, energy companies, and other potential clients. Things are different now. Sushko himself had to gather his family and flee his home after a nearby attack.
Happily, Ukraine benefits from a committed community of drone experts&mdash;some, who were educated at the National Aviation University or Kyiv Polytechnic University, decided to establish drone startups in the country.
Obviously, small consumer drones aren't going to join the battle as tactical weapons&mdash;<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/ukraine-military-gets-into-the-fight-with-turkish-made-tb2-bayraktar-tank-killer-drones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like the Turkish-made TB2 Bayraktar drones deployed by the Ukrainian military</a>&mdash;but the cameras in off-the-shelf drones are excellent for tracking Russian troops and relaying the info (images, GPS coordinates, etc.) to the Ukrainian army.&nbsp;
THE RISKS
A Facebook group administered by Kyiv drone retailer Taras Troiak has over 15,000 members, and many have been sharing data about helping the Ukrainian military. Unfortunately, volunteer drone pilots such as these members may not be as stealthy as they may think. The Chinese firm DJI is the leading manufacturer of consumer drones, and it has so far declined to explicit state how it might use the data collected by its drones&mdash;such as revealing the location of a volunteer pilot.
Furthermore, Troiak says that DJI has been evasive as to whether it is giving preferential treatment&mdash;or even disabling&mdash;its AeroScope drone-detection platform for one side or the other, as both Russian and Ukrainian troops could potentially monitor each other's flight paths and pilot-to-drone communication. As a result, Ukrainian droning experts are trying to educate amateur pilots on how to increase security and stop the technology from revealing their positions.
&ldquo;The risk to civilian drone operators inside Ukraine is still great,&rdquo; stated Australian drone-security authority Mike Monnik. &ldquo;Locating the operator&rsquo;s location could result in directed missile fire, given what we&rsquo;ve seen in the fighting so far. It&rsquo;s no longer rules of engagement as we have had in previous conflicts.&rdquo;
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