Sky Photos Demonstrates aerial search techniques at the NEWSAR 2025 conference
September 23, 2025
Pittsford, VT – September 20 , 2025 – Sky Photos LLC, a Rensselaer, NY based company providing aerial imaging and thermal services in construction, media, project management and more, demonstrated the power of coordinated ground and drone operations during a full-scale mock search at the annual New England Wilderness Search-and-Rescue (NEWSAR) Training Conference, held September 19-21,2025 in Pittsford, Vermont.
During the exercise, a team of volunteers and first-responder professionals worked together to locate multiple “missing” subjects across the Vermont Police Academy and adjacent Fire Academy grounds. The teams used visual, thermal and incident management techniques to coordinate ground search elements and successfully located the subjects during the 3-hour nighttime training. Using drones to search rapidly and eliminate open areas allows the ground teams to focus searching on areas less visible to drones, such as in forests or under the cover of buildings, making the areas both faster to cover and having a high level of search accuracy.
Chief Pilot Craig Weston also demonstrated drone use and safety and provided an overview of safe drone operations during daytime and night.
About Sky Photos LLC
Sky Photos (Albany–Rensselaer, NY) supplies visual and thermal drone imaging for construction, inspection, project management, and pet/search-and-rescue missions. The owner Craig Weston serves as an FAA Safety Team DronePro and volunteers with the RCSAR team.
About New England Wilderness Search and Rescue (NEWSAR)
NEWSAR delivers no- or low-cost training to SAR professionals and volunteers across the Northeast. The all-volunteer organization hosts an annual conference covering canine search, search management, technical rescue, and more.
About Rensselaer County Search and Rescue (RCSAR)
Celebrating 50 years of service in 2026, RCSAR provides canine search, high-angle rescue, slope evacuation, and other specialized capabilities to agencies throughout the Northeast. It is based in Rensselaer, NY and is volunteer funded and operated.
If you are reporting a lost or missing person, your first call is always 911.
Media Contact – Sky Photos
Craig Weston, Chief Pilot – Sky Photos LLC
craigw@skyphotosllc.com | 518-290-7413 | www.skyphotosllc.com
Media Contact – NEWSAR
Larry Evanchick
levanchick@gmail.com | 518-378-8729 | http://www.newsar.org
Media Contact – RCSAR
Gina Pendolino
gpendolino23@gmail.com| 518-479-4378| RCSAR.COM
During the exercise, a team of volunteers and first-responder professionals worked together to locate multiple “missing” subjects across the Vermont Police Academy and adjacent Fire Academy grounds. The teams used visual, thermal and incident management techniques to coordinate ground search elements and successfully located the subjects during the 3-hour nighttime training. Using drones to search rapidly and eliminate open areas allows the ground teams to focus searching on areas less visible to drones, such as in forests or under the cover of buildings, making the areas both faster to cover and having a high level of search accuracy.
Chief Pilot Craig Weston also demonstrated drone use and safety and provided an overview of safe drone operations during daytime and night.
About Sky Photos LLC
Sky Photos (Albany–Rensselaer, NY) supplies visual and thermal drone imaging for construction, inspection, project management, and pet/search-and-rescue missions. The owner Craig Weston serves as an FAA Safety Team DronePro and volunteers with the RCSAR team.
About New England Wilderness Search and Rescue (NEWSAR)
NEWSAR delivers no- or low-cost training to SAR professionals and volunteers across the Northeast. The all-volunteer organization hosts an annual conference covering canine search, search management, technical rescue, and more.
About Rensselaer County Search and Rescue (RCSAR)
Celebrating 50 years of service in 2026, RCSAR provides canine search, high-angle rescue, slope evacuation, and other specialized capabilities to agencies throughout the Northeast. It is based in Rensselaer, NY and is volunteer funded and operated.
If you are reporting a lost or missing person, your first call is always 911.
Media Contact – Sky Photos
Craig Weston, Chief Pilot – Sky Photos LLC
craigw@skyphotosllc.com | 518-290-7413 | www.skyphotosllc.com
Media Contact – NEWSAR
Larry Evanchick
levanchick@gmail.com | 518-378-8729 | http://www.newsar.org
Media Contact – RCSAR
Gina Pendolino
gpendolino23@gmail.com| 518-479-4378| RCSAR.COM
