A top-flight presentation

You will actually be happy when the speakers drone on this Sunday, April 9, at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center in Newport.

Retired Toledo teacher and Lincoln County School Board Member Peter Vince and Newport News Times videographer Casey Felton will be on stage in the Doerfler Family Theater talking about drone history and usage followed by a demonstration of drone globes, helicopters and the Mavic 2 Pro.

“They're going to get up there and show some videos and talk about the positive side of drones,” Executive Director Susan Tissot said. “Then they will go out and fly drones from the balcony.”

Fun for the whole family, the event will include a few toy drones for people to try out.

“It’s a great thing for people to do with kids that are past the age of Easter egg hunts,” Tissot said. “And admission is free for the whole afternoon, so they can also enjoy our other exhibits like the ‘Portraits in Red.’”

Running through July 16, “Lincoln County 400′” is an exhibit focused on contemporary drone photography and historical aerial images from the museum’s collection, including work by Vince and Felton.

Vince, who has done professional work for customers like the Midcoast Watersheds Council and the Port of Toledo, said he and Felton will be open to questions from guests but will try to cover as much as they can on the topic.

“We’ll talk about what they are, what they can do, what it takes to operate one, the distinction between recreational and commercial and what the FAA regulations are for safe operation,” he said. “But we are also going to have a little fun with the toy drones so that people can see what even the little ones can do.”

Vince said that while drone flying is still an expensive hobby, it is becoming more affordable over time.

“For about $800 you can get a camera in the sky that would have cost more than $2,000 not that long ago, and 25 years ago you could only get that from renting a plane,” he said. “And the quality is incredible even in lower-priced drones. So, over time, the cost is going down while the quality is going up.”

Sunday’s talk and demonstration begins at 1 pm at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center located at 333 Bay Blvd. in Newport.

For more information, go to oregoncoasthistory.org or call 541-265-7509.