Alphabet (Google) has released an app called ‘OpenSky’ in Canberra Australia, that will help both commercial and recreational drone flyers announce/know where drones are being flown.

Per Alphabet the OpenSky app is “to help them find safe places and times to fly their drones or drone fleets.” Using OpenSky from your cell phone lets you basically do what AirMap, here is description from TechCrunch.com, “The new app itself is straightforward to use. From a menu, you select what type of drone operator you are — either recreational, commercial (flying drones commercially less than 2kg) or ReOC (flying drones commercially with an operator certificate issued by CASA). You can then enter addresses in the map’s search box to look up information about the no-fly zones and other restrictions that may be in place, as well as view the related CASA compliance maps for guidance. There are also features to help you identify flight hazards and a link to report unsafe drone operations directly to CASA.”

Will Alphabet bring this app to the United States when it starts flying commercial drones here? I would bet that this app will show up because it is more than likely that this app will integrate with Alphabet’s drone air traffic control software that they are working on.

If and when this and many other apps are able to integrate into the FAA air traffic control network, both we recreational flyers and the commercial world of delivery drone operators will benefit greatly. But will the recreational flyer still be able to fly without very strict controls on when and where? This is something that we who fly drones are going to have to make sure that the FAA does not favor the commercial sector so much that those of use who enjoy having fun are not locked out of flying from our favorite sites.

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike