Drones vs Planes/Helicopters for Aerial Photography
- Joshua Hulm
- Jan 27, 2017
- 2 min read
Drones are the future! There's no denying that RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems) have disrupted the photography/videography world more than any other technology in recent memory. From small drones being used to take aerial shots for real estate agencies to large octocopters armed with professional camera rigs flying high above a movie set, the future is here and its skies are filled with drones.
Where though does this leave the stalwarts of the aerial film/photography industry? Small planes and helicopters have been plying this trade for decades and there's no denying that this latest technological disruption has thrown a massive spanner in their props.
The benefits of drones over manned aircraft are many, but the big three are Cost, Speed and Safety.
A drone can be deployed within minutes, requiring no airfield, pilot, fuel or tower clearances to commence its flight. This saving of time also translates to a large saving in cost. A drone can capture crystal clear high definition footage for a fraction of the cost of a plane or helicopter.
Safety is also a key difference. Helicopters can weigh between 2 and 5 tonnes (planes much more), must carry a minimum of one human occupant and are filled with highly flammable fuels. Compare this to a drone which weigh on average between 2 and 10 kg, require no human cargo and run on batteries and the difference is huge. Modern professional drones are equipped with intelligent safety sensors preventing collisions, warning of issues before they arise and have in-built redundancies to ensure safe flight is guaranteed.
A drone's agility is also a great benefit above a manned aircraft. Able to get up close, into tight spaces and underneath structures such as bridges, power-lines and tree canopies, there are many places a drone can fly that a manned aircraft would not be able to consider.
This is not to say that manned aircraft don't have their place. All of that fuel allows them to have much greater flight times than drones. Where a manned craft can fly for several hours without the need to refuel, a drone is limited to 20-60 minutes flight time per battery depending on the make and model. Battery technology is advancing at a rapid pace however so this gap is shrinking by the day.
Manned aircraft are also capable of flying much higher than drones enabling them to capture much larger areas of the ground below. Drones are generally limited by law to fly any higher than 400ft without special permissions. 400ft is quite high though and offers a large view of the ground below (see image below).
In short, if you're looking for a safe, fast and affordable aerial photography or aerial video solution, a drone is probably the answer. If however, you're needing to cover a very large area or require hours of continuous flight, a plane or helicopter might (in the short term at least) be the better bet - Just be prepared to pay.
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