Merry Drone Christmas to All and to All a Good Flight

With a warm shout out to Clement Clarke Moore! 

‘Twas the day before Christmas, when across this great land,

Drones were delivering and lending a hand;


 

I was working my drone job at the ole FAA,

Checking out that drone pilots, our rules they obey;


 

‘Twas Yuletide, I know, but I stayed here in town,

My task was important, forget the shutdown!

 


Don’t think I hate drones – it’s quite the contrary,

But I deal in safety, so danger comes rarely;


 

 

Armed with my coffee and binders of laws,

I had just settled down to write a new clause;

 


When high in the airspace, radars sensed a new blip,

I sprang into action, sharp as a whip;

 


 

Away to the monitor, I focused my gaze,

To find the rogue aircraft up there in the haze;


 

The track on the radar soon allowed me to see,

Some descending object, heading right down for me;


 

Then what to my wondering gaze landed soft on the ground?

But the most wondrous drone I had ever found;


 

 

With a sleek design, so rugged yet spry,

I knew right away, ‘twas a new DJI;


 

More agile than wind, it landed near me,

I dashed forward quickly, shouting federal decrees;


 

“Now, BVLOS! Now, waivers! Sec. 333!

Part 107! 400 Feet! Now listen to me!”


 

‘Twas the prettiest drone, that ever I’d seen,

Tricked out with vestments of red and bright green;

 


As I gawked in amazement, drone magic most grand,

Shot forth a small man, who did quickly expand;


 

Where once stood a drone, with rotors a-flutter,

Now stood a fat man but know this: I’m no nutter!

 


He was dressed in pilot gear, from his head to his toes,

His clothes were all tousled, from the flight I suppose;


 

Despite his method of drone transportation,

He was a traditional Christmas representation;

 


The way his bright drone sensors did jingle,

I knew this drone lover must be Kris Kringle;


 

An array of drone products, he had flung in a sack,

Smiling ever so slightly, he began to unpack;

 


His eyes – oh they shined! His love of drones clear,

He whispered right to me, “I’m so glad to be here;”

 


“You see, diligent man from the old FAA,

I’ve been watching your progress every night and bright day;

 


Despite some friction twixt you and drone users,

It’s clear to me, sir, you all hate drone abusers;”


 

“Making skies safer takes teamwork and skill,

Pilots and agencies can co-write a good bill;”


 

“But tonight, my dear chap, I came here not,

To deliver a lecture, nor class nor sinister plot;”


 

“No!” said he, “not to complain nor to nag,

I visit your workplace to give my drone bag!”

 


And with that, dear Santa, oh he went to work,

Poured out his bag contents with a wink and a smirk;

 


“So, FAA man,” said he, “Here’s the deal,”

These drone gifts, your Xmas blues surely will heal;


 

As I gazed at the booty, my eyes full of wonder,

My mouth did water at the splendorous plunder!


 

Thermal imagers! LIDAR! 4K high-def imagery!,

Software solutions for to gain top-notch telemetry!

 


Drone doo-dads custom made for some missions,

Farming, construction and detecting emissions;


 

A bag full of swag for tons of applications,

Mining, utilities, search-and-rescue situations;


 

And to neutralize the occasional drone ne’er-do-well,

This grim anti-drone gun will shoot them to hell;


 

And as Santa shrunk down to fit in his drone,

I frowned in my heart that he soon would be gone;

 


“Don’t look so downcast, he said with great cheer,

Unmanned aircraft technology will make the way clear;”


 

“I cried out “But Santa there’s much drone bad news!

Drones flying ‘round Gatwick, mixed with ignorant views;”

 


As his tiny elf body began to wink out,

He cupped hands to his mouth to give me a shout!


 

“Don’t worry, young man, just do what you should,

Share the message of courage – Drones for Good!

 


His tiny voice bellowed out as he flew through the night,  

“A Drone Christmas to all and to all a good flight!”

 

Jason is a longstanding contributor to DroneLife with an avid interest in all things tech. He focuses on anti-drone technologies and the public safety sector; police, fire, and search and rescue.

Beginning his career as a journalist in 1996, Jason has since written and edited thousands of engaging news articles, blog posts, press releases and online content.

Email Jason
TWITTER:@JasonPReagan

Subscribe to DroneLife here.



https://dronelife.com/2018/12/24/merry-drone-christmas-to-all-and-to-all-a-good-flight/

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