Drones – a beautiful piece of technology and the industry of the future

There is no doubt that drones are the hit and phenomenon of this decade. These interesting devices originally from the world of science fiction have suddenly found their way into the hands of not only professionals, but also ordinary people, who can buy basic models for tens of euros. When we talk about professionals, we mean, for example, filmmakers, surveyors, builders, energy workers, farmers, but also rescue or law enforcement agencies. A drone or UAV, from the English Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, is actually an unmanned aircraft. It allows you to fly either remotely controlled by a person or autonomously. Like most high-tech, drones were originally developed for the military, mainly for reconnaissance and later also attack flights. It is still true that the most advanced drones are military ones, which are technologically about two decades ahead of the regular consumer sector, in which civilian drone enthusiasts operate.

"A man knows himself when he struggles with obstacles. For that he needs a tool. He needs a plane or a plow... or an airplane."

Antoine de Saint Exupéry, writer and professional pilot

But let's keep our mouths shut, as they say, we are talking about the most advanced armies in the world, not ours, where only new 4 or 8-wheeled transporters are being dealt with at length on the ground and in the air, mutual "cannibalization" of retired "MiGs" for spare parts, so that they can even take off from the ground in Sliač. Drones could be divided into four basic categories. Hobby drones, which are more like toys, mostly in the form of so-called quadcopters. Professional drones, with which their owners often take photos, film or do business. Industrial drones used in an increasing number of industries and finally military drones, which are the technological cutting edge of the industry.

Size, weight, equipment, control

Slovak legislation classifies drones primarily by weight. However, size and weight are no longer completely relevant categories for drones today, in the sense that the bigger or heavier, the more professional. Many professional drones usually have a very low weight and, on the other hand, military drones do not have to be just large machines with proportions resembling almost ordinary aircraft, but can easily have micro dimensions, up to the level of flying insects. Basic models of professional drones usually weigh around one kilogram. However, there are also models with a camera that weigh 40 kilograms or more. Their proportions correspond to this. They usually have one pilot or operator. There is also a way of flying with a camera, in which the pilot controls the drone itself and another person directs the movement of the camera. However, this is difficult for mutual coordination, which is why most drone pilots who take photos or film manage both activities at the same time.

"I prefer to control and coordinate the movement of both the drone and the camera myself. I also have experience with splitting the maneuvering and camera control, but it's like holding the steering wheel and someone else pressing the pedals for you."

Richard Raymann, professional licensed drone pilot, Zdronu.sk + Crot Production

Controlling a drone is relatively intuitive and can be learned quickly with regular training. However, you need to keep a cool head and not panic, qualities that even real pilots must have. You can also use various apps that offer drone flight simulation.

Drones allow us to see more and differently

As drones become more available and popular, their prices are also dropping. In addition to the necessary equipment and batteries, drones usually also have cameras on board, allowing you to enjoy amazing bird's-eye views like these , these , or these . As with cameras, there are many options to choose from – from cheap lenses with basic resolution to truly professional ones that can be used in feature films. Drone footage is already the standard today, as it is cheaper than traditional aerial footage and offers many more options. Airplanes or helicopters cannot compete with drones in terms of maneuverability. Drones can reach places or spaces where filming would otherwise be impossible and can fly much closer to the subjects being filmed than ever before. The company SkyEye is a specialist in film productions, but not only in the Slovak drone scene.

While a regular hobby drone is really a matter of two or three figures at most, the equipment of a professional drone, including imaging equipment, multiple lenses and spare batteries, starts somewhere at 10 thousand. However, it should be remembered that even an expensive drone with extensive professional equipment is not a guarantee of perfect flying skills and perfect videos. Among the most popular brands among drones for professional use are those from DJI , which reigns supreme in the segment. Among others, it is worth mentioning, for example, Parrot , Power Vision or 3DR .

Drone scene in our country and around the world

As drones become more popular, so does the subculture that naturally forms among enthusiasts around any new technology. But how is the drone scene in our small Slovakia? Does it even exist? There are, of course, drone enthusiasts in our country too. There are about 80 officially licensed pilots in Slovakia who can fly legally. Another thousand or so fly without a license, which is technically illegal. This disproportion is caused by the difficulty of obtaining a license in Slovakia and the even more complicated bureaucracy involved in obtaining a permit to shoot video or photos from a drone. Moreover, there is a paradoxical situation that anyone can buy any drone in our country, but only a legal entity can obtain a permit to film with a drone. A similar paradox applies to the fine for illegal flying with a drone. While without a license you will pay a fine of 330 euros for illegal flying, with a license but without a permit for a specific flight up to 33 thousand. The truth is, however, that getting a fine in this context is rather rare in our country, and most of the time, even the police themselves do not fully understand what is and is not legal with drones. They do not know whether and how much to issue a fine, or whether to confiscate the drone, which is, of course, absurd, and the like.

In the USA or Ireland, for example, you can get a license for a few dollars for several years and register conveniently electronically without even leaving your home to go to any office. As Richard Raymann , a professional drone pilot with a license from Bratislava, says, if you are a responsible drone pilot and especially if you earn a living by flying a drone, it is definitely worth taking out insurance, which will cost around 3 to 4 hundred per year. Despite the fact that our legislation barely catches up with drone flying and complicates it rather than facilitates it, there are also countries where you can't fly a drone at all. Examples in the world are the United Arab Emirates and in Europe, for example, Sweden. There, only the military is allowed to use drones. In neighboring Austria, drone flying is also quite strict and each flight is paid for separately.

Different countries have different reasons for banning civilian drone flights. Most of them are security reasons. Recently, for example, there was an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the president of Venezuela during his public speech using commonly available drones loaded with C-4 plastic explosives. However, for context, it should be noted that during the presidency of Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez, the country fell into a spiral of hyperinflation, recession and economic collapse under their heavy hand. Over a million people have fled the country in recent years. It is true that both extremes – both an absolute ban and the absence of any rules for flying drones – are rather harmful. The golden mean is bureaucratically undemanding, ideally electronic, registration of pilots and regulation of unmanned flights. This generally benefits the entire industry that is gradually being created around drones.

Professionals in Slovakia who are engaged in the production, editing, colograding and other post-production of aerial footage from drones include, for example, Crot Production , or Richard Raymann's Zdron , or the company UAVONIC , which also organizes the "Drone Pilot Academy" . Thanks to it, more people in Slovakia fly legally and according to legal rules.

Classic and futuristic uses of drones in practice

The boom in drone sales was probably caused by children buying them as toys. However, it quickly became clear that drones are a bit too complicated for children to control without causing damage, and parents started playing with them before the children did, and those who got hooked later switched to better models. Drones are also widely used in our country, especially among photographers and filmmakers. However, drones are increasingly being used by other professionals as well. For example, using a thermal imaging camera and a drone, specialized companies can identify heat leaks in places where they normally cannot reach with a handheld camera. Finding a broken solar panel is now a matter of minutes, not days.

Electromagnetic interference is no problem for drones. They can get close to high-voltage pylons and check what needs to be done. In China, drones are also used to clean power lines. A modified version of a commercially available drone is equipped with a flamethrower, helping workers clean electrical cables while keeping them at a safe distance from the looming double hazard. Industrial drones can also monitor bridges, chimneys, large halls, or pipelines hundreds or thousands of kilometers long. Using special sensing technology, they can find possible leaks of gas or other substances. Drones can also be used to control the rate of irrigation of fields or apply sprays. Another major logistics company, DHL, is also testing a combination of autonomous transport and drones. In Iceland, they went even further and their civil aviation authority granted the first nationwide permits for drone flights that will provide goods transport. In Slovakia, something like this is currently impossible, as drones are not allowed to transport objects other than imaging equipment or drop anything. However, a pioneering act in this regard was made by the technology magazine Techbox , which delivered the print edition of this magazine by drone as part of a subscription campaign. The construction industry is also increasingly using drones. It is estimated that more than 45% of construction companies already use drones to monitor the current status of the construction site. Thanks to them, construction managers can have a better overview than before, when they worked "only" with a walkie-talkie in their hand. There is also an example from our western neighbors. Police in the Czech Republic have equipped several off-road vehicles with top-of-the-line drones, which are packed with modern technology - thermal imaging, a camera for both normal and night vision with control up to 10 kilometers. The drone can stream video up to a distance of 5 kilometers. It will be used mainly in search operations and documenting natural disasters. A similar system can also be used to track poachers. Protecting and monitoring animals using drones is also a useful tool for conservationists in their activities in the wild.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) has been using drones to monitor and track hurricanes since 2014. They use a Coyote drone, manufactured by Raytheon, an American corporation that specializes in the production of special military equipment and supplies for the US military. The drone has a wingspan of 175 centimeters and is less than a meter long.

"Drones are mostly in the position of passive "observers". However, industrial models are also being tested that can cut certain materials or perform simple welding work. More widespread use of such models is probably a matter of the foreseeable future."

Richard Raymann, professional licensed drone pilot, Zdronu.sk + Crot Production

Facebook has begun testing the use of drones for internet coverage. It may come as a surprise to some of us who are solving “first world problems,” but 60% of the planet’s population still doesn’t have access to the internet. Two years ago, it began testing a project in which a drone with a wingspan similar to that of a Boeing 737 could orbit the landscape for months on end using solar power. A single drone could cover an area of ​​up to 60 square kilometers with a signal.

Drone racing

The “drone” subculture undoubtedly includes model-making enthusiasts. Some of those who years ago flew model airplanes over our heads now “customize” their drones and – among other things – race them both “outdoors” and indoors. “Racing” drones are usually smaller models. The top-of-the-line ones can fly at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour. This year marked the second year of the Drone World Cup. One of the stops of the 24-part race, which takes place in 19 countries around the world and involves pilots from 20 different countries, was held at the Facility System Hub in Trenčín. Part of the experience for spectators is also a live broadcast from the cameras of the racing drones. The drones fly over various obstacles and holes on a rugged track. More information about our local "drone community", as well as global news from the world of unmanned aerial vehicles and the legislation that regulates it, regularly appears on the SmartWear.sk portal. Speaking of which, legislation...

Drone flying rules

Many people think that the only thing they need to fly a drone is money to buy it. However, this is not the case. Most people forget about the legislation, which is, at least in Slovakia, quite strict. For hobby drones weighing up to 500 grams, they should only fly in designated areas within a distance of 300 meters and a height of 30 meters from their "operator". The minimum horizontal distance from people, vehicles, vessels or buildings must be twice the current flight altitude. However, there is no exact definition of "designated areas" for flying hobby drones. The general rules for flying professional drones are similar everywhere in the world where this activity is legal. According to Slovak legislation, these are drones from 500 grams to 2 kilograms. The flight height can be a maximum of 120 meters above the ground and 1000 meters from the person who controls the drone. It is allowed to fly at least 50 meters from people, vehicles, vessels or buildings. Drones can only fly in good weather conditions and in uncontrolled airspace.

The last category includes drones weighing between 20 and 150 kilograms. They are mainly used by law enforcement and rescue services. This category was last discussed by members of the European Parliament and they recently approved an amendment to the civil aviation safety rules, which also introduces principles for the operation of drones. These are mainly aimed at increasing the safety of their operation. It is forbidden to fly over populated areas, protected areas and zones. However, in reality, it is common and legal to fly in such areas. However, drones must avoid the borders of prohibited and restricted airspace. In human terms, civilian drones are not allowed to move in the space or near military or state strategic objects.

Bureaucracy and retro carriers

It is very important whether the drone has a camera. If it does, its operator must comply with Section 64 of the Act of the Slovak Republic 215/2004 Coll. on the Protection of Classified Information, even in the case of a "toy" drone. The owner cannot therefore claim that his or her drone was not filming or was filming, but only for private purposes and the like. Every drone with a camera falls under the definition of aerial work and its pilot must have all the necessary permits and consents. The interested party can find the relevant data on the website of the Transport Authority, especially in the section dedicated to unmanned flying. It is also important to note that a permit to perform aerial work pursuant to Section 44 of Act No. 143/1998 Coll. on Civil Aviation cannot be issued to a natural person, but only to a legal entity. To make matters worse, the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic requires that every flight be reported to it and it will issue a permit for each one. The permit application must include the permission of the owner of the land over which you plan to fly, along with a graphic attachment with the start and flight zone. If all documents are in order, the ministry should approve the flight within 10 working days. Before the flight, the drone pilot, like a classic pilot, should notify the control tower of the start by radio.

All images taken by the user must be sent to the Topographic Institute in Banská Bystrica, which is part of the Ministry of Defense. The data must be sent on a CD. Seriously, how many of us still have the "mechanics" for physical media today? There is a 30-day period for approving the images. If you are successful, the images must be sent back to the Ministry of Defense for archiving. If the footage is not approved by the state authorities for any reason, it may not be published or passed on to a third party. Videos and photos are considered classified information until they are approved. The whole process takes much longer than flying itself, which ultimately makes it more expensive. At the same time, this lengthy procedure will probably disqualify Slovakia from theoretical participation in the "league" of countries that will set trends in the area of ​​complex and industrial use of drones. The role of the private sector here will not be replaced by military research and development, which does not exist in this area in our country.

Film business

Hollywood discovered the magic of drone footage a long time ago. By the way, did you know that there is already a movie called "Drone Wars"? However, it received such a poor rating on IMDb and ČSFD that you'd better not even google it. There are many films that have featured drones, playing an important role in the overall atmosphere of the film. Classics include Back to the Future Part II, more recent ones include The Bourne Legacy, Marvel's Iron Man and X-Men film series, and Blade Runner 2049. So what do you think? Don't you feel like flying anyway? Photo source: Private archive of Richard Raymann