“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”

—this advice is attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca. His counsel is particularly relevant to the current stage of UAS here in the U.S.

Unmanned technologies have created big opportunities, and the FAA’s Rule 107 has unleashed them (to a high degree, arguably). Investors are paying attention. Just this summer we learned that Kespry has closed a $16 million venture capital round, Autodesk has invested an unspecified amount in 3DR, and DroneDeploy has raised $20 million of funding. According to published reports, the U.S. market for UAS in the next five years alone will be worth, conservatively, billions of dollars.

Getting prepared for this opportunity is the next step in crafting your own luck. As this issue is focused on UAS, here’s your chance to learn more so you can prepare for a future where geospatial work will increasingly involve UAS.

In “Drone Talk,” microdrones’ Mike Hogan introduces the concept of the DIKO (data, information, knowledge, and organizational intelligence) pyramid and explains how you can use this tool to communicate the value of good geo-data and its ultimate benefit to your customers. This is sage advice from a UAS professional who helps surveying professionals maximize their UAS investment. “UAS Platforms: Secrets to Successful Selection” provides direction on what type of craft to choose for your missions and how you can exploit your UAS platform selection to maximize profitability and ROI. Learn about recent advances in hybrid UAS technology and UAS-lidar and why they’re important factors to consider in platform selection.

In our “Unmanned and Unlimited” section we offer “Designing a Drone.” Cody Remington of UAS service firm IST Aerial explains how IST not only created its own luck, but also created its own UAS. Read how they used that UAS for a rigorous 10,000-foot mission high in the Rockies.

Check out our new section, “Women in Unmanned Systems” (pun intended), where we profile two prominent young geospatial professionals who offer inspiration to others entering the field.

What’s more, we’ve amped up the UAS-relevant news in our “Unmanned and Unlimited” section. There’s just so much going on regarding UAS that trying to keep up with it all is like drinking out of a firehose. Not to worry; we’ve committed to being your source for UAS news and information.

Read on, prepare yourself, and then make your own luck!