Drones are increasingly becoming a normal part of everyday life, including search and rescue missions, delivering medical supplies to remote areas, and as a fun photographic way to get that bird’s-eye view of your house or favourite camping spot.
If you watched the opening ceremony of the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in July, you would have likely seen a spectacular light show over the stadium using 1,824 synchronized Intel drones to swoop and dive, forming the symbol of the games, followed by a giant globe depiction of Earth. As the fleet of drones formed the shape of our planet and its continents, composer Hans Zimmer’s reworking of John Lennon’s Imagine played across the stadium.
It was a sight to see.
Here at Airdrie Public Library (APL), we don’t have plans to do anything nearly as spectacular as the Tokyo Olympics' opening ceremony, but we are offering a cool program called Drones in the Library (cue the dramatic music).
This after-hours program is for patrons aged 13 to 17, and will utilize somewhat smaller drones than those seen at the Olympics. Those were 340 grams, while ours will be under 250 grams.
APL is offering two 45-minute spots on Aug. 14, one at 7:45, the other at 8:45, where you can come to the library and gain experience piloting a drone.
An experienced drone pilot and aviation expert will be on hand to walk participants through such skills as flying through hoops, navigating obstacles, and Pin the Drone on the Donkey – a clever way to practice landing without (hopefully) crashing.
The pilot will also be able field any questions attendees have about federal rules governing the use of drones.
The classes are limited in size and online registration is required. For more information on this and all APL programs and services, visit www.airdriepubliclibrary.ca
