snowboarding, essentially lifting him into the
air and creating his own private ski lift. And
drone racing is growing in popularity, with the
FAI Drone Racing World Cup seeing hundreds of
pilots participating in 23 competitions around
the world - with bigger competitions planned
for this year.
ELEVATING PUBLIC SERVICES
Drones may have appeared a novelty when they
first entered our psyches, but their practical uses
are endless. The UK government, for example,
could save an impressive £1.1 billion a year
switching to drones, according to a recent
study by Commercial Drone Professional,
unlocking new efficiencies and allowing councils
and government to deliver more effective
services to the general public. And around
the world, it’s a similar tale, with authorities
switching to cutting-edge drone technology to
replace outdated processes.
In the United States, a report from the AUVSI
suggests that more than 100,000 jobs will
be created in the drone or unmanned aerial
systems (UAS) industry over the next ten
years, as private organizations and government
bodies look to outsource the management
of their drone technology, with roles such as
drone technicians, programmers, operators,
and software engineers coming to the forefront.
Filling those skills gaps will be a key priority.
Aerial observations, for example, are now
allowing emergency response teams to stream
video to the ground from drones, rather than
relying on a hydraulic platform, to get to the
bottom of crime scenes and save time and