Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 22

In the News Four horizontal propellers rapidly spin and levitate the small craft. With steady hands on the controls, William “Bill” Lord ’55 commands the quadcopter to rise and hover above the iconic Trojan head. It glides across Hill Stadium, recording a bird’s-eye view of the playing field with the drone’s video camera. Lord’s business partner Don Johnson stands by as the “Visual Observer,” constantly watching the drone’s location and advising Bill on wind, trees, and other obstructions, as well as the best possible routes for filming. Bill and Don entered the drone business after Bill’s retirement from more than 30 years at ABC News producing programs like Good Morning America, World News Tonight and Nightline, and after Don retired from his career as a four-time Emmy award winning cinematographer. “You can’t stop producing things—it’s in your blood,” says Don. The pair’s company—Maine HDTV, Maine’s Sky Cam, primarily produces videos for real estate listings, but they also aid local search and rescue operations and nonprofits. Bill Lord ’55 Takes To The Skies With Aerial Videography properties (or, with permission, over other people’s properties), the problem arises with selling images and videos. The FAA currently requests a Certificate of Authorization, but is transitioning to a less restrictive approach as more hobbyists purchase drones (popular models range from $400—$1,000). State and federal laws have not caught up with the rapid change in technology. Bill holds a private pilot’s license, which allows his professional business—Maine’s Sky Cam—to register its drones with the FAA. On days like his visit to Hill Stadium, he even contacts local police departments in case residents call with concerns. Bill views live footage on an iPad above his controller, which syncs with the drone’s camera. As he looks towards his alma mater and talks about the New Media courses currently offered at Thornton, he remarks, “Behind these old bricks is a digital revolution.” Controversy about drones have been an issue in the national news because, as Bill explains, “The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) controls the National Air Space from the ground up.” While hobbyists have the right to fly drones over their own Bill uses a controller to fly the drone and views its location on an iPad with a sun shield. 22 Learn more: mainehdtv.com Bill Lord ’55 (left) and business partner Don Johnson filmed the Thornton campus with their drone.