Drones and Potential Commercial Applications
A large number of people have been buying drones over the past year. They may have seen an advert on TV or been introduced to drones by a friend or family member who has already got one. No wonder people can't let them go after discovering how easy they are to fly.
Furthermore, their price has also come down significantly since the first commercial drone models were launched, thus making this drone flying hobby much more affordable than it used to be. It is therefore important to have reliable reviews websites out there, and one of these is Drones Den.
However, with so many drones now unregulated in the airspace below 400ft, we have seen more problems and potential problems in the airspace. The most recent case was a drone and a helicopter that have nearly collided whilst the helicopter was filming a racing event from about 200 ft. Many of you will say that this height is way too low for a helicopter to be flying at, and this is in fact where a drone could be put to use.
After all, even multiple drones to have up at the same time will be cheaper than flying a helicopter. Multiple drones up in the air filming live events could pave the way for more than ever interactive TV, for example in which viewers will be able to choose from a variety of different angles during their favourite racing, football or any other live event. However, let's not digress. After all, who is going to regulate this large influx of drones and potential competitors to helicopter pilots.
The FAA legislation currently claims that drones, as well as any other UAVs come under the amateur/ model aircraft flying and can therefore fly unregulated below 400ft, as long as they are a significant distance away from any airports, military bases or national parks. But surely, what about the hazard of them crashing? Who is responsible for the potential damage? And what about privacy concerns?
The FAA is due to come up with definitive regulation that will cover both amateur and commercial use by the end of 2015. This is hoped to open up the drone usage to commercial applications such as filming, photography and many others, such as deliver, surveillance and personal security.
Drones have the ability to go a lot higher than 400ft, so regulating them is not going to be easy. Currently, they are also meant to always stay within line of sight of the person controlling it, and from various videos available on YouTube, it is obvious that a lot of people are instead making use of the cameras onboard drones to control them, rather than relying on direct view.
The upcoming FAA legislation regarding drones is certainly going to be interested over the next couple of years, and is an area we should pay attention to. I am certainly convinced that due to the major potentials, drones are here to stay, but the FAA and organisations overly concerned about privacy will attempt to limit their applications. Nonetheless, make sure to follow future outcomes and keep an eye out on new potential applications that the drone market will bring.
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