What Are Drones Used For?
There are a multitude of uses for drones. They can be used in lots of different settings and flying needs to be carried out legally and safely – ensuring you have the right qualifications and safety measures in place to conduct the flight makes all the difference.
The most common place we now see the use of drones is on TV or in film. Nearly every production that is now aired contains some kind of drone footage, and when you look closely, you may be able to figure out how drones are used to create external – internal continuation shots.
Using a large platform such as the DJI S900 with a Ronin M gimbal, operators can fly the drone towards a building and be met by a ground crew who catch the drone. A gimbal operator disconnects the gimbal and continues to film the subject, keeping the shot going!
Flying a drone isn’t all about sending it as high and as far away as possible – it’s also about being able to put a camera in places a human may not be able to reach, not just limiting it to the TV and film industry, but for surveys and inspections.
Surveys are probably the most common application for drones due to their versatility and the data that can be generated as a result means that companies can save time, money and conduct their work safer due to reducing the risk to life.
From the larger scale drones such as the WingtraOne, where you can map vast areas of land, to the smaller Elios to inspect and map tunnels - the capabilities are endless.
From simple visual inspections to high-detailed 3D models where you can measure up with millimetre accuracy and calculate how much material is in a stockpile. It goes without saying, you can save time and money by employing drones.
Search and rescue is becoming a hot topic within the industry, especially within mountain rescue and the police. Mountain rescue use drones to help find casualties quickly on the mountain which allows the rescue teams to home in quicker, which can be crucial in saving lives.
The police use drones for helping look for missing persons (MISPERS), tracking criminals on the run or general surveillance of an event. It doesn’t stop there! Drones are used to also look for pets! Having the ability to cover vast landscapes using thermal imaging to detect heat signatures, can get pet back quickly and home safely.
Social media is another popular platform for drone content - Instagram is full of it! From influencers showing off their tropical trips to first time flyers.
Using the smaller Mavic Mini series opens a whole new world of flying. Reduced separation distances, lightweight for transport and an outstanding camera unlocks your potential. We all have that moment when we walk onto the beach for the first time or up a mountain and the views take our breath away. What better way to capture the views for a TOTALLY new perspective – taking your media to new heights, quite literally.
Capturing content such as this can open your eyes to the world around, you but it does come with the obvious risks and extra considerations which need to be accounted for.
Make sure you have checked the local laws, gained permission where necessary and above all – don’t get in the way of others!
Drone uses, consolidated:
1. Surveying and inspections
2. TV & film
3. Promotional content creation (at all levels)
4. Security
5. Search & Rescue (SAR)
6. Education
Toby Townsend, Drone Specialist & GVC Instructor