Drones Are For More Than Just Entertainment

Drones and remote controlled machines are hot topics that keep featuring in the media. These days it’s not uncommon for people to associate an RC plane with government surveillance or something sinister. More often than not, however, a drone in the sky is simply the work of a hobbyist enjoying a day out in the sun.

Drones are not just for entertainment though. Recently, they are being employed to assist the work of heroes. The surf club at Muriwai Beach in Auckland is trialling out drones in the hopes that they will help lifeguards save more lives. Auckland’s West Coast is known for its treacherous waters, and the Muriwai Volunteer Lifeguard Service rescue around 100 swimmers every summer.

The idea is for the drones to spot people in trouble more quickly, allowing lifeguards to respond at a greater speed. Alerted by the drone, the lifeguard can drop flotation devices and talk the person in distress through a rescue plan from the air. Tim Jago, the former president and now head of drones said, “We’re two to three minutes from ripping open [the] backpack that these things will be stored in to the time we have them airborne.”

The drones cost approximately $5000 each and cost a few cents per hour to run. This is a small cost, compared to the thousands of dollars spent on calling out a helicopter. In regards to privacy of beachgoers, the surf club has said they will wipe all footage on the drones within days, making it a safe and legal solution.

Run by specially trained staff, the drones will also cut risks for lifeguards. Jago said, “Police will send dogs in when they have a really dangerous situation first, or they’ll send a robot in when they have a potential bomb situation… we can send the drones into isolated or dangerous parts of the coastline to conduct the searches without having to put lifeguards in there.”

Regardless of whether you want a drone to save lives or simply to play around with, RC Hobbies is the one-stop online shop for all things remote controlled. They stock a generous range of high quality machines at low costs, catering to all remote control enthusiasts and hobbyists. Their user friendly store exhibits a generous range of kits, parts and accessories, including fuel ingredients such as Nitro Glow Fuel.

This hobby shop specializes in radio control helicopters, planes, quadcopters, cars, plastic models and anything else remote controlled. Some of the brands they support include TRAXXAS. ECX, Vaterra, Losi, RJX, Thunder Tiger, BLADE, E-Flite, ParkZone, HobbyZone, Xteme production products, Align, RotorTech, Spektrum, SAVOX, Gens Ace and Tattu.

If you are looking for drones for sale in NZ, RC Hobbies is the premiere drone shop in Auckland.