By ANDREA JOHNSON Assistant Editor Farm and Ranch Guide
The things of children’s tales and science fiction are gradually becoming true as science and entrepreneurship are woven together.
Farmers and ranchers now have a viable option for using a remote controlled helicopter to take photos and video above their land, using the G15 AutoCopter helicopter.
The G15 AutoCopter helicopter is an unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) designed, manufactured and distributed by AutoCopter Corp of Charlotte, N.C. This UAV can be used for precision agriculture mapping, farm and ranch inspections, crop lodging information and much more.
The 64-inch remote controlled AutoCopter helicopter weighs about 17 pounds, said Donald Effren, president of AutoCopter Corp.
The roof of a pickup truck makes a nice launch pad, but the UAV can take off just as easily in the field.
While I understand the merits of using a system like this I have a feeling that they have their work cut out for them. Auto piloted helicopters are both mechanical and electronically complex and require a lot of skill to operate. This precludes there sale to people like farmers who have little or no time to skill up. This means that potential clients would need to be service resellers to make this a viable products and as we know this is precluded by the FAA. Until we are able to fly for commercial gain in the NAS the potential benefits of using sUAS systems for precision ag will not be realized.