The Little Drone: Return to Home is a work of fiction. Events, characters, places and story action are not based on actual occurrences or people and are not representative of drone operations typically flown by FAA certified UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) pilots. The flight operation of the Little Drone in this work of fiction is not representative of any general flight data, historical events, manufacturers’ data or young or old pilots’ flight skills.

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Online research indicates that “fly-aways”, much like the one Little Drone and Marco experienced, happen rarely. In fact, statistics show that flight operations that experience fly-aways occur as little as 1.75 times per 1 Million flight-hours. It’s a remarkable safety record. For any new drone pilot, young and old alike, training, safety awareness and deep understanding of your UAV’s operation and hardware is very important to doing everything possible to avoid problems in flight or on the ground. 

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I have been flying drones and have been renewed with FAA certification testing every 24 months since my first certification testing in May of 2018. As of this book’s publication date, I have not experienced a fly-away and continue to wholeheartedly believe in the technical quality of UAV systems, flight operation policy and FAA training and testing. Everything a drone pilot does in the operation of their UAV for photography or cinematography should and is most often conducted with meticulous attention to rules, regulations and mitigating all potential problems.

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In the story of The Little Drone: Return to Home, I have attempted to use the fly-away of Little Drone as a storytelling device as a means to set about Little Drone on an adventure and to illuminate the story of Marco and Little Drone’s teamwork, friendship and flight-time together. The fly-away is used as a dramatic device to “launch”, if you will, the separation of Marco and Little Drone and to present how Little Drone’s adventure, while scary at first, led him to discover the art of flight when there are real challenges, weather conditions, navigation, meeting new friends and reuniting with the person he loved most, Marco.

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Flying drones for a hobby or career is a fun and exciting experience and I applaud any pilot for their passion to take to the skies and keep flying high in a safe and certified manner.

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Such an experience is only a takeoff away you. Up you go.

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Mark Fallone
July 2026