Drones Becoming Mainstream

If you’re a drone enthusiast it’s fascinating to look back on how the technology emerged and how far it’s come. Like many things, a lot of the predictions about how drones might be used haven’t come true, but there are others that we couldn’t have imagined ten or fifteen years ago. For example, back in 2013 Amazon were talking about deliveries by drone from their distribution centres direct to customer homes. We’ve yet to see this, and many would argue with modern logistics it’s not really necessary anyway. But we are seeing drones used in everyday life in increasingly innovative ways around the world including.

• Delivering vaccines and medicines to hard-to-reach places

• Tracking and forecasting hurricanes and tornadoes

• Crop monitoring and pest control
  

Commercial drone operators in the UK are also now able to offer a range of services that are increasingly in demand. As winter approaches we are seeing a lot of interest in drone roof inspections for example. Rising energy costs are also fueling interest in thermal roof inspections. Public perception of drones has improved massively in recent years, and they are now widely recognised for their practical uses rather than as dangerous ‘toys’ used for snooping on people! It’s a great time for the drone industry and we’re really positive about what’s to come over the next few years.

New DJI Mavic 3 Classic

The Mavic 3 Classic drone is equipped with the same 4/3 CMOS 20-megapixel camera, 46-minute maximum flight time and O3+ communication system as the Mavic 3 drone without an additional telephoto lens. The DJI Mavic 3 Classic is a great option for drone operators who don’t use zoom as it still has the fantastic 4/3 CMOS Sensor that can take 5.4k video.

Member Interview - Matthew Beasley From Drone Motion

What type of work do you specialise in?

"It varies, but the main focus is filming and photography, this can range from TV, business promotion and online content productions. I am also a drone inspection supplier to a few survey consultancies in the UK."

- How do you find customers?

"I can’t give all the secrets! But I would say word of mouth works wonders for your business. I tried cold calling and emailing and this turns into nothing, no one likes this and if people say they do, they are lying!"

- What's your favourite drone/piece of kit and what would you like to see developed in the future?

"My favourite drone that has taken me to where I am now is the trusty Phantom 4 Pro. An absolute staple in the industry, now it’s the Mini 3 Pro and Mavic 3. A fantastic combination to work with as they tick all the boxes. I would love to see an APSC or full-frame drone in the Mavic 3 body, and an extremely high-quality telephoto lens included."

- What advice would you give to anyone starting out in the drone industry?

"Fly, fly, fly some more and don’t stop flying! Keep taking photos and videos in different settings to see what looks best and if you crash, don’t worry about it. You’re officially not a drone pilot until you have a crash, you learn so much when you do."