East Valley Tribune, Mesa West: 04-17-16

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THE VOICE OF THE EAST VALLEY SINCE 1891 AND WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING

Horizon Community Learning Center celebrates 20 years PAGE 14

THE SUNDAY

Tribune EAST VALLEY

FREE ($1 OUTSIDE THE EAST VALLEY) | EastValleyTribune.com

West Mesa Edition

She’s a different kind of mob lawyer

PAGE 18

Sunday, April 17, 2016

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S NEWS | Aviation Museum 9

Falcon Field site voted tops in Mesa

COMMUNITY | Robotics 13

Student team taking its shots at world championships

FAITH |

Spiritual Side 27

Sometimes we forget who blessed us with life

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ................... 3 OPINION ...................16 FAITH/FAMILY..........27 CLASSIFIED ...............29

Drones can access private spots of any yard of any home. [Daniel Poty/Poty Group/Special to the Tribune]

COVER STORY

Valley of the drones

If you think drones are coming, think again. They’re already here. BENEFIT | Larry Fitzgerald plays softball in memory of Mom EVENT | Legoland Discovery Center promises fun for kids, adults alike MUSIC | South African pop singer visits Mesa Arts Center

BY JIMMY MAGAHERN TRIBUNE CONTRIBUTOR

“D

id you bring your bird?” asks Nicco Punzalan, welcoming a friend to the early Saturday morning get-together of East Valley drone hobbyists at Daley Park in Tempe. “Yeah, but I just fried a brand new LiPo,” says the newcomer, presenting a bloated rectangular lithium polymer battery that appears to be hot to the touch, judging from the quick-handed juggling that goes on between the two pals. “Don’t worry,” Punzalan says, opening up a suitcase packed with at least 24 high-discharge lithium cells. “I think I’ve got one or two spares.” In many ways, the gathering of drone

enthusiasts at Daley Park resembles the typical weekend gatherings of model radio control plane operators who have been converging on city parks and desert fields for decades. With dozens of model airTop 3 myths craft spread out on Micro drones on sale at Drones Plus in Chandler. [David Jolkovski/Tribune] about drones picnic tables, the manufacturing and repair shop in Mesa. - Page 9 group of mostly The drone flyers are an enthusiastic, welyoung-ish, entirely coming group. However, they are not exactly male electronics welcomed by the RC plane (or “fixed wing”) tinkerers compare “builds,” as the largely flyers at the designated parks. hand-built flying machines are called, and Those sites comprise nine parks throughshare repair tips. out the Valley, designated zones for flying “Once you get into this, you quickly find electric-powered model aircraft. The unease out you spend more time fixing than you between the two groups is part of the reado flying.” explains Punzalan, who handles son drone operators are pushing the city to the web design for Flite Factory, a drone See DRONES on page 4


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