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It is also important to take measures to avoid congregating before, during, and after class. This can include marking the floor or posting signage so members line up at a distance, and spacing out access to equipment needed for class.

During World War I the Ruston Proctor Aerial Target of 1916 was the first pilotless aircraft built using A. M. Low’s radio control techniques.

Continue communicating to instructors the importance of following and enforcing social distancing guidelines. No high fives, no postural adjustments, no walking the room. A social distancing strategy goes hand in hand (at arm’s length) with a good cleaning strategy. Instructors should announce distancing guidelines at the beginning of class, while reminding members to wipe down equipment before and after use and to wash hands before and after class. Clubs may require members to bring their own mats or towels in the earlier phases of reopening.

"The rule will be in place within the year," FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker said at the House Oversight Committee hearing, "hopefully before June 17, 2016."

The desk itself provides a physical barrier, though some businesses have taken the additional step of installing a plastic or plexi-glass barrier. Clubs should also consider providing a barrier or shield for staff who are checking temperatures or doing any other screening procedures if applicable. Staff can still chat with and encourage members, just from an appropriate distance.

The next five years are going to be big for drones in the commercial sector. A few projections include enhanced usage in agriculture, oil rigs and wind farms, mining, and bridges.

Talon/LPE submitted our request for our Section 333 grant of exemption in July 2015.  We are hopeful the exemption will be granted by early October 2015, or sooner.

Before getting into more modern history on a light note, in May 2015 the Drone-Industry Show accepted the use of the word “drone” in place of “unmanned aerial vehicles”. Company representatives and government employees shunned the term because they thought that the word didn’t convey the vehicles’ sophistication.

This will involve eliminating non-essential physical contact and shared touched surfaces. Increase the use of verbal cueing or demonstrating over physical touch cues. Ask clients to set their own treadmill speeds and weights, and to retrieve and put away their own equipment. Setting up and changing weights, mats, or other equipment for clients can feel like an important component of excellent customer service, but during an outbreak, it makes more sense to avoid touching the same surfaces.

If you need Environmental Consulting, Environmental Drilling, Air Permitting, Spill Management, Oilfield Construction, Environmental Engineering, Safety Training or General Contracting services, contact us at Talon/LPE. We work throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico. We also offer safety and training classes.

The first instance of a certificate of authorization was on May 18, 2006, when the FAA gave permission for a drone to be used within U.S. civilian airspace to search for survivors of disasters after requests in 2005 failed to be approved and no drones were used following Hurricane Katrina.

In fact from April to July 2015, a number of exemptions soared 90%. In June alone, the FAA granted authorizations for commercial unmanned aircraft system in 42 states and Puerto Rico – a total of 714 in one month.

Meanwhile, the Alaska Certificate of Waiver or Authorization was followed by 990 FAA exemptions by July 2015 with more than 60 granted to Texas companies and individuals.

In 2012, Congress passed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act (“FMRA”) with the purpose to direct the FAA to develop Rules that apply specifically to drones.  The FAA is using FMRA as a mechanism to to allow companies to perform “commercial” drone services by issuing a Section 333 grant of exemption while permanent rules are being drafted and reviewed. The first waivers were granted in September 2014 to four film-making companies.

In 1782, the Montgolfier brothers in France were the first to experiment with balloons using unmanned aerostats before going up themselves. UAVs were then used as a tactic of war starting on August 22, 1849, when the Austrians attacked the Italian city of Venice with unmanned balloons loaded with explosives.

In fact, when USAA received positive news from the Federal Aviation Administration in April 2015 about using unmanned aircraft for damage inspections, the company announced on its website, ‘FAA Approves Drone Petition.’

First, remove any self-serve check-in members may use and encourage them instead to use a mobile app. For any scanned items—like a keycard or mobile app—do not let members hand their phone or card over to staff. Instead have staff move the scanning device toward the phone or card, or place it facing outward so members can scan their card/phone themselves.

This was not just great for weekend radio-control flyers, but useful in industries as diverse as aerial photos for media, environment management, security surveillance, and agriculture.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the term “social distancing” has become nearly universal. Social distancing has been a key strategy to slow the spread of coronavirus and “flatten the curve.” As businesses continue to navigate phased reopening, many professionals across a number of industries are asking what social distancing will mean for their business operations in the near and longer term future. This article explains what social distancing looks like in a health club setting.

Provide a brief explanation to clients on how social distancing in personal or small group training sessions will work, and how that will (and won’t) change their training experience.

Social distancing is equally important for employees. Consider whether certain staff can work remotely, and encourage them to do so. If possible, eliminate shared working stations, either providing additional phones or computers or encouraging employees to use personal devices for the time being.

Additionally, create greater physical distance between yourself and the client, and for the time being, consider avoiding exercises like the bench press, where a spot or close observation is warranted.

Encourage (or require, as many gyms have done) clients to use a towel and wipe down all touched surfaces before and after use.

If front desk staff regularly high five members as they enter, encourage them to try a different interaction such as a peace sign or an air high five. Encourage front desk staff to maintain a distance of 6 feet (2 meters) from members as they enter and exit the club. If staff routinely hand out towels or other items, change to offering these items on a self-serve basis, and arrange them to ensure members touch only items they will be using. Some clubs may avoid providing towels altogether, instead asking members to bring their own, in early phases of reopening.

With the friendly skies being infiltrated with toy drone enthusiasts, news drones, industrial spies, and larger flying objects, it became necessary for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to regulate the new technology aloft.

By July 2015, the issuance of permits was about 250 a month while the FAA reviews over 4,500 public comments on the proposed rules.

As gyms begin to reopen amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many are wondering whether it is safe to resume pre-closure activities, including working out in the gym. Here are four evidence-based reasons why exercise is beneficial for immune and overall health.

Of all staff, front desk staff have the highest volume of interaction with members—they greet and check-in every single member that visits the club. It is important to limit both physical touches and shared surface touch between front desk staff and members, as well as between members.

Do you know the date the first commercial drone was launched? If you said unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were first used in the 1970s-1980s, you were off by about 200 years.

In June 2015, the FAA stated that it intends to issue final regulations for operating small commercial drones by the middle of 2016, according to a top administrator.

To ensure social distancing is maintained in general fitness areas, many national and regional authorities are limiting the number of people who can be in the facility at a given time. Similar restrictions have been in place for grocery stores and other retail establishments. In addition to limiting density at any one time, clubs are also proposing other means to facilitate social distancing such as signage, floor markings, barriers, and rearranging or removing equipment to achieve 6 foot distance.

The world has been experiencing a coronavirus pandemic since late 2019. This article provides basic information about the outbreak and how your club can help keep members and staff safe and informed.

While some social distancing restrictions—such as capacity—may ease, it is still important to keep members from congregating at any point—on the fitness floor, at the front desk, in locker rooms or other communal areas, in the pool area, and around group exercise, and to continue to facilitate situations where members can maintain at least 6 feet of distance.

Alexandra Black Larcom, MPH, RD, LDN, previously served as IHRSA's Senior Manager of Health Promotion & Health Policy—a position dedicated to creating resources and projects to help IHRSA members offer effective health programs, and promoting policies that advance the industry.

Social distancing is a public health practice that aims to keep potentially infectious people from coming into contact with healthy, uninfected people. It is a key part of a mitigation strategy to slow the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19, through communities to protect high-risk populations and prevent (or contain) surges in illness that could overwhelm the healthcare system. Current recommendations around COVID-19 and social distancing include keeping at least 6 feet (2 meters) separation between people when out in public, and wearing a cloth face covering when other social distancing measures are harder to maintain.

While the FAA has previously said it was seeking to complete the rule as swiftly as possible, Whitaker’s comments are the most specific yet about timing.

By 2017-2018, expect drones to be widely used for situational awareness, operations management, modeling/mapping and more environmental monitoring.

In the 1970s and 1980s a variety of new technologies emerged, including the Global Positioning System, long-range data links, lightweight computer equipment and composite materials, as well as satellite communications and digital flight controls, that spawned a new generation of drones.

The future of unmanned aerial vehicles in industry is assured. It’s time to think about how using a drone can help your business.

For employees that cannot work remotely, ensure that each employee is set up at least 6 feet away from their closest colleagues. Ask employees to avoid congregating at the start or end of shifts, at lunch, or on breaks. Move to virtual or teleconference meetings, even for staff who are on premises. Consider encouraging employees working in the club to use a cloth face covering or mask, in accordance with regional, national, or local guidelines.

Social distancing in group exercise includes restricting class sizes in order to ensure that there is at least 6 feet separation between members, depending on regional or national recommendations—some regions will require a greater distance than 6 feet, and distance may depend on the presence or absence of masks. Clubs can also cap classes at a certain set number based on room size, and allow access on a first-come, first-served basis or by reservation. Consider marking spots on the floor for equipment placement that reinforces 6 feet separation between members.

“We’re not afraid to use that word anymore,” said Kathleen Swain, chief pilot for the drone program of United Services Automobile Association, a provider of insurance for military families. “Everybody knows a drone is a drone.”