Drones

I am sure many readers are now familiar with drones. It is a term commonly used in place of more technical industry terms like: UAV (unmanned Aerial Vehicle), UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) and RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems).

Drones can be used for Aerial photography, aerial surveying and mapping, aerial inspections and many agricultural and construction uses. In our industry we are seeing increasing use for mapping large areas very quickly and efficiently. Because Drones can provide both live HD video feeds (such as we see in major sports events) as well as the ability to capture high resolution images, they have a wide variety of uses. They are also a very fashionable toy, and there is high potential for damage by uncontrolled use of drones. Some professional operators have described them as “lawnmowers flying through air” , while others have expressed concerns about breaches of privacy. Changes in the Civil Aviation Rules last year means that operators are controlled by quite strict regulations intended to limit risks to others and protect the privacy of individuals. Eg if a drone operator wishes to fly above you they need your permission.