Drone for Firefighters, No Part 107

In this episode, the Roswell Flight Test Crew speaks with Chris McCall, the CEO of FotoKite. His company's new tethered drone, the Sigma, has been designed specifically for firefighters and other first responders, and features a vehicle-integrated design: being permanently mounted on a fire truck. It requires no skill to fly, just the push of a single button to launch it up to a maximum height of 150 feet – providing immediate, aerial situational awareness. The Sigma carries both visible light and thermal cameras on a three-axis gimbal, and can pan, tilt and zoom using simple gestures on a touch screen. Because the Sigma is actively tethered, allows for no direct pilot input and is intended for use exclusively by first responders, no Part 107 Remote Pilot In Command certificate or Certificate of Authorization (COA) is required to operate it. FotoKite has signed a contract with Pierce, the largest manufacturer of fire apparatus in the United States, to make its system widely available to firefighters.