Security, such as monitoring the borders;
Monitoring infrastructure such as power facilities, ports and pipelines;
Disaster response, including search and support to rescuers;
Communications and broadcast, including news/sporting event coverage;
Cargo transport;
Commercial photography, aerial mapping and charting, and advertising.
SOURCE: Federal Aviation Administration
The camera swoops over the green expanse of the Everglades hundreds of feet below, like many helicopter shots you’ve seen on television. But suddenly it dips and flies through a narrow, shaded canal where kayakers are paddling, and a viewer has to wonder, “How on earth did they fly a chopper in such a tight space?”
The answer: It isn’t a helicopter. It’s a drone.
Welcome to the world of small, radio-controlled, unmanned aircraft for commercial use. When Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos said on “60 Minutes” this month that his company plans to use drones to deliver packages in the next several years, he created a buzz. But such aircraft are already used for limited commercial purposes.
Keith Colodny, owner of Precision Aerial Filmworks of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., has used drones to provide promotional videos for local real estate agents and car dealers, tourism campaigns, nature-focused television programs and numerous other clients.
“And it costs a fraction of what a helicopter will cost for a full day,” Colodny said.