These are only a few examples of the possible
benefits and each company will discover for
themselves the ways in which drones can streamline
workflows.
Any new technologies on the horizon?
There are new applications for drones being
conceived all the time. If you think about the
five-year figure again, when people discussed
the prospect of drone-based delivery it was still
essentially a sci-fi concept. Flash forward to now;
Amazon is actively testing prototypes and a US
company called Zipline are using fixed-wing drones
to deliver medical supplies across Rwanda.
The advances making their way into the drones
you can purchase from companies such as Heliguy
mainly have to do with safety such as the obstacle
avoidance DJI has pioneered through their products
as well as solutions like ADS-B receivers which give
drones the ability to detect whether any no-fly-zones
or manned aircraft are likely to disrupt the flight and
inform the pilot via their control device.
As for advances yet to come we are likely to see
increasingly smaller, more powerful drones featuring
more professional quality cameras to increase
convenience for professionals on-the-go. Due to the
mounting competition in the sector, we won’t have to
wait too long to see what else is on the cards.
What further applications can they be used for?
Aside from inspections, drones are finding
themselves in demand throughout a range of
industries. Heliguy, works closely with a number
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of emergency service departments who have
successfully deployed drone teams and we’re
contacted on a daily basis by people with disparate
professional backgrounds from search and rescue to
filmmaking, thermographic surveys to construction.
Where do you see the drone market shifting over
the next few years?
While there has undoubtedly been a shift towards
the acceptance of drones as commercial assets,
there is still a little way to go. Regulations on
unmanned aircraft are still in their nascent stages
and being revisited frequently due to rapid advances;
this creates confusion for those without the time
to invest in learning the essentials and getting the
necessary permissions.
How easy is it to get started with a drone?
If you’re just looking to fly a drone as a hobby in
the UK it’s as easy as buying the aircraft of your
choice and obeying the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)
guidelines for safe usage. However, for those looking
to add drones to their business, you’ll need to train
for your permissions with a recognised NQE such
as Heliguy. Training takes the form of a three-day
ground school course, followed by a practical flight
test. Alongside this you’ll be tasked with the creation
of an operations manual which thoroughly outlines
your intended use case and is necessary when
submitting your application for permissions from the
CAA. Once you have completed the process and
received CAA approval, you’re all set to get your
drone operations off the ground.
Heliguy offers comprehensive support through this process in three UK locations:
Newcastle, Manchester and Farnborough. For more info visit Heliguy.com or
email: [email protected]
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