Drone vs. Helicopter, which is better for Aerial Photography? - 014
Drone verses helicopter, sounds like the title of a new blockbuster movie, but I digress. There was one image out of Hollywood that impressed upon me the opportunity of drones in filmmaking. The scene was a busy small downtown with a few multi-story buildings where the action star was running from a burning building. Perched above at seventy-five feet was a helicopter shooting the action from just above the rooftop. I thought to myself, “Wow, that seems like a risky proposition, low level right over the town intersection set, what if the engine quit on the helicopter?” How cool it would be to use a drone, also known as a small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS), for this scene. However, we are not just talking about the film industry, it’s much broader. Next, we will outline the positive and negative aspects of each platform.
Helicopter Positives
· Ability to carry a larger payload, translates to a more sophisticated camera(s).
· Can cover a larger geographic area in a timely fashion while also focusing on a specific lat-long.
· More access to airspace as when compared to a drone operation.
Helicopter Negatives
· High operating cost.
· Increased risk due to personnel being in the aircraft and on the ground with a greater risk of injury and fatalities. Disclaimer: The safety of helicopters is very high as compared to other aircraft operations.
· Noise and turbulence from helicopter can present an issue, such as a film set.
Drone Positives
· Very low cost of operation.
· Can produce a competitive product with cameras used in the industry when compared to manned aircraft that have higher payloads.
· Much quieter as compared to a hovering helicopter for example.
Drone Negatives
· Battery life, as compared to manned aircraft endurance that use Jet A fuel or AV Gas 100LL. However, rapid technology advances will solve this issue in the future.
· Limited geographic area. Response time outside of local areas can be comprised by ground transport issues, for example, closed roads due to a natural disaster. Issue can be mitigated by having a network of drone crews.
· Airspace access can be limited to a minor extent, especially without a waiver, as compared to manned aircraft. An example using a LAANC waiver would be a drone mission within the zero-altitude approval close to a Class C airport.
Story from the Field: Natural Disaster Debriefing
North Carolina is just one State that has, in a typical year, several hurricanes that threaten the lives and property of thousands in the State. I was working for the State in which our organization was responsible for a small, but important piece of the solution, providing post-hurricane assessment of the damage. After one such hurricane, at the conclusion of the response, several stakeholders got together to de-brief the good, bad, and solutions to respond better for the next natural disaster.
One of the stakeholders represented a utility company, which had recently started a drone program to inspect powerlines and to dispatch for various natural disasters. The utility company had been using helicopters for many years and noticed the advantages of drone technology for inspecting short sections of powerlines.
One of the major issues they ran into was the delay getting drone teams to the correct areas and in a timely fashion. In other words, a creditable source would report that there was significant powerline damage in a certain area and requested aerial photography. The drone team would pack up and drive to the location, which is no easy task when roads are closed combined with required coordination with highway patrol for escorted access. As the drone team finally arrived after picking their way through inhospitable roads, the location was incorrect and/or it was difficult to get the images needed while staying Visual Line of Sight (VLOS).
In the debriefing the key point that stuck with me was when the utility representative said, “Drones are good for some missions, and helicopters for other missions.” He went on to explain that a manned aircraft could accomplish a high altitude look of the disaster area which would be used to decide where it would be best to efficiently dispatch drone teams. As mentioned previously, between limited battery life and the limits of not having Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) approval capability was limited.
Alternatively, having manned and unmanned aircraft working together in their best capacity is ideal. I know a few folks may respond with alternative methods used to extend drone range such as different powerplants and BVLOS approval, however, this isn’t the way most drone operations are run at this time. The good news is more approvals and waivers are getting approved every day.
Drones verses helicopters isn’t about competition, it’s about getting along and seeing the advantage of each platform. In a nutshell, use the best tool for the job. For example, shooting aerial air to air shots in which the drone flies chase to a Huey helicopter used in a Vietnam era film. A word or warning, be cautious of turbulence, called wake turbulence, from the helicopter rotor blades. Helicopters, as mentioned earlier, can be used for long distances and large geographic areas. Of course, there’s a cost difference but sometimes there isn’t a choice. The good news is that in the long term I see BVLOS approvals, extended range drones, and larger UAS changing this ever-progressing industry.
TC Freeman is the Chief Instructor for the RemotePilotAssociation.com (RPA) and has a passion for helping recreational and commercial drone pilots learn to fly and earn FAA commercial Remote drone Pilot certification through live, hybrid or self-study courses.
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