Drones take off with businesses
On a chilly day this week, Andrew Dahl carried a black box into the city landscape lot on Jefferson Street.
From inside the box he pulled out a small camera, a battery pack and an aerial drone. In a few minutes, the device whirred into the sky, snapping pictures of its surroundings.
When most people think of drones, it brings images of spying: people peeking into homes and tracking others' movements.
But today unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, have taken off with hobbyists and businesses alike. The tiny aircraft are hovering above building projects, wetlands and even weddings.
Using the drone, Dahl can send pictures almost instantaneously to the Kittanning Street office of Interstate Builders. The company can use the shots to give bids for jobs, assess the condition of a roof and enhance the safety of the builders.
“There's a tremendous amount of safety value in it,” Dahl said.
Mary Inakaradze, the scheduler for the builder, said when a tree fell on a house recently, workers were able to use the drone to assess the damage instead of putting a roofer in a potentially unsafe situation
“I can't speak enough for it,” said Dahl, who operates the drone for the company. “It's a time saver. It's a money saver.”
Reid Joyce of Middlesex Township bought his UAV last year after seeing videos and photographs shot by drones.
“There's a lot of potential value in the UAV market, and the vast majority are used for good reasons,” he said.
Joyce uses his aircraft to help the Glade Run Lake Conservancy in its efforts to repair the dam and refill the lake. The lake was drained in 2011 after the dam, which had been declared unsafe in 2002, began crumbling into the lake.
Joyce said he works with a geologist to “stitch together” a picture of the stream channels.
“This is all stuff that you can't really see from the ground,” he said. “It just looks like bushes, and Google Earth is outdated.”
The aircraft, which range in price from $60 to more than $3,000, were a popular gift over the holidays.
Tim Shingleton of Playthings Etc. said the store sold several hundred UAVs.
Shingleton, a hobbyist himself, said a crowd materializes when he operates his drone.
“As soon as I get the thing out, people flock around me,” he said.
Shingleton used his aircraft to get unique shots at a friend's wedding last summer.The Federal Aviation Administration regulates drones used for commercial use, such as those for businesses, universities, government agencies and law enforcement. But hobbyists must only follow simple safety guidelines, said Les Dorr, a FAA spokesman.Hobbyists must keep a drone below 400 feet. It must be in eyesight at all times and avoid adverse weather conditions. Additionally, they must remain clear of manned aircraft operations, avoid crowds and operators must contact airport personnel when flying within five miles.“It's not so much what you have but what you're doing with it,” Dorr said.Although they do not need authorization from the FAA, hobbyists who crash their UAVs can be fined.“We have authorization to take action against anyone who endangers the safety of the national airspace,” he said.Dorr said the agency has fined five people throughout the country, with the penalties ranging from $1,100 to $2,200.If the FAA is made aware of an unauthorized commercial drone, Dorr said the first step the agency takes is to educate the operator so he can get authorization or discontinue use of the aircraft.Drone incidents have been in the spotlight lately from the crash of a low-flying drone on the White House lawn to the crash of a UVA carrying drugs on the U.S./Mexico border.But incidents such as these have hobbyists Joyce and Shingleton worried.“I know guys that are not following that rule,” Shingleton said. “Some of these people might ruin the hobby.”Joyce said it's “stupid and unsafe” to ignore the FAA rules.“They're absolutely giving hobbyists a bad name,” he said.“You have to exercise a little common sense here,” Joyce said.
