I wanted to share this with everyone here. AeroVis Drone Solutions is an authorized ACSL dealer, and ACSL recently featured us in their dealer spotlight. This is something I’m proud of. We’ve spent time flying and testing the equipment we sell, and that experience matters when we’re helping someone decide whether a system fits the work they need to do. It also connects to the conversations we have here. Choosing a drone starts with understanding the job. The aircraft that makes sense for one person’s work may not be the right choice for someone else. If you have questions about SOTEN or how we evaluate equipment, bring them into this thread. We can talk through the reasoning together. What’s a job you’d want to evaluate SOTEN for?

This came up in class, and I wanted to bring the explanation back here so we can work through it together. We spend a lot of time learning that drones generally stay below 400 feet and that certain airspace requires authorization. This example shows why we need to read the actual wording and check those requirements separately. Here is the setup. We have a 600 foot building on level terrain. Class G is below 700 feet above ground level, and Class E begins at 700 feet. For this example, we are outside Class B, C and D airspace and outside the lateral boundaries of a Class E surface area designated for an airport. Those assumptions matter. A different location can give us a different answer. First, how high can we fly? 14 CFR §107.51(b) states: “The altitude of the small unmanned aircraft cannot be higher than 400 feet above ground level, unless the small unmanned aircraft: (1) Is flown within a 400-foot radius of a structure; and (2) Does not fly higher than 400 feet above the structure's immediate uppermost limit.” Both conditions apply. We need to stay within 400 feet horizontally of the structure and no more than 400 feet above its immediate uppermost limit. That distance is from the structure, not from where we are standing or where we launched. For the building in our diagram, that allows an altitude of 1,000 feet AGL, provided we meet those conditions and the other applicable requirements. That puts part of the illustrated flight area into Class E. We do not need an altitude waiver just because we are above 400 feet AGL in this example. We are using the structure exception already written into the regulation. Does entering Class E mean we need authorization? Now we look at a separate rule. 14 CFR §107.41 states: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC).”

I've been talking with people across the industry and connecting with others who want to grow alongside us and share what they know. There are so many directions we can take with drones. I want this community to give us access to experienced mentors who can help us explore those opportunities and figure out what fits our goals. We’re working on bringing in coaches in these areas: • Thermography • Drone operations • AI integration into businesses The plan is for each coach to host a monthly seminar focused on their area of expertise. They’ll walk us through practical use cases and introduce tools or approaches we may not have considered. For those who want more focused support, we’re also working on a way to connect directly with these coaches for one on one guidance. Our goal is one seminar in each area every month. We’re still working out the details, and I’ll share the coaches and schedule as they’re confirmed. Which of these areas would you most like to dig into first? Is there another area youd be into?