Welcome to DroneAirSupport.org, the new home for the Drone Air Support Association.

This site is currently under development, but will soon be the online home for an association of first responders who use small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), or “drones”.   This includes Law Enforcement, Fire Services, EMS, and others who are professionally involved in the first responder community.

Drone Air Support Association will feature news and legal updates of interest to our members, as well as safety information, training, maintenance, and operational info to help assist our member-pilots in running safe, legal, and effective operations.  Whether you are starting a drone unit in your agency from scratch, or if you are an experienced drone aviator or program coordinator, you will benefit from membership.

Who’s behind the Drone Air Support Association?   I am Christopher Litzkow, the publisher of this site, and the owner of Christopher Michael Aerial Images, and  I am a Police Detective for the Criminal Investigations Unit of a State-level law enforcement agency.  I am an advocate for commercial drone use, and have been a Part 61 manned aircraft pilot since 2002, and received an FAA Section 333 exemption for commercial drone use in 2015.  I am a member of several drone related committees and groups, including the Wisconsin UAS Advisory Board.

The Drone Air Support Association is a brand new entity, but I have gathered together several very prominent members of the “drone world” as advisors, including university professors, aviation attorneys, professional search and rescue (SAR) helicopter pilots, military sUAS operators, and FAA UAS Specialists. Each of the advisors has a deep knowledge of drones and/or first response aviation, and each has valuable input to offer.

The Mission. DASA’s mission is to further the professionalism of first responder Remote Pilots through providing resources and information relevant to safe and effective operations. DASA will work with industry experts to provide “best practices” for all aspects of an agency’s UAS program, and further, will be an advocate in the “drones for good” public relations campaign which will be critical to our member’s success.

Who Should Join? Anyone who is a member of the first responder community (Law Enforcement, Fire Services, or EMS) and either is, or wishes to become, a professional Remote Pilot or operator of a small UAS.  Agency Administrators and other UAS Crew Members are also encouraged to join, as each operation requires teamwork to achieve maximum success.

Who Should Not Join? DASA is not intended to represent hobbyists, who have long been represented by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (the “AMA”). If you are strictly a hobbyist, I encourage you to join the AMA.

How Much Does it Cost? At this time, membership in the DASA is 100% free.

Future Features & Benefits. DASA plans to offer education, training, and other member-only benefits in the future. When additional features and/or benefits are offered there will likely be an annual membership fee. Although that future fee is unknown at this time, it would likely be nominal and comparable to other, similar membership organizations. By joining now for free, you are not committing yourself to any future fees, as you may cancel your membership at any time.

Join Today.  To join DASA, simply complete the form below to submit your information.  Personal and operational security are paramount to me, and none of your information you provide during registration will ever be disclosed.

Please note: Your email domain (example “name@danesheriff.com”) will act as your verification of employment as a first responder, so please choose to use your work address, if permitted.  If you register with a personal domain (example “name@gmail.com” or “name@yahoo.com”) you will receive a follow-up email within 48 hours with a verification process.   If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.