Drone Services Ireland

When you were young did you want to be a pilot?

Flying abroad has become more affordable for holidays but the exhilaration of actually flying a plane is truly amazing. It will however devour your bank account too.

We've seen in our April Edition that Irish Balloon Flights provide a more romantic experience but what about something for​ the adrenaline junkies?

Drones are relatively new, fairly expensive and some are furiously fast. Some have live video feed to goggles that can be flown just like a video game.

Remember the flying bikes in star wars? Check out the video clip below and you'll see how close to reality they're becoming.

You might have seen the Drone flying overhead on Thursday 25th May capturing the images for our Traffic Chaos article. Fergal from Drone Services Ireland has turned his love for flying drones into a business and we wanted to find out more and of course.....fly one.

What drones have you got?

"I have a DJI Inspire 2 quadcopter and a Yuneec Typhoon H hexacopter.

The difference between them is the number of motors/props they have. Quadcopters have four motors and would be what people associate drones as being. The hexacopter has six motors and can lose functionality of 1 motor and still allow the pilot the ability to get the drone down, it may not be a pretty landing but it is safer than falling from sky.

There are benefits and drawbacks with every model out there, you just need to find what best fits your need. I am more focused on 3D mapping and the construction industry where drones are set for a massive growth.

By mapping a construction site you can get elevation differences, measurements, stock pile analysis of rubble for example, all of which provide project managers with valuable information in a fraction of the time traditional surveying can be done. This is not a replacement for traditional surveying, but a supplement to it."

Are you part of a drone club?

"Not a club as such, but a voluntary organisation made up of commercial operators and hobbyists alike. I am a committee member of the UAAI, the Unmanned Aviation Association of Ireland.

The UAAI is all about promoting safety in the drone industry and being a single voice to liaise and negotiate with the IAA on the Statutory Instrument (S.I.563) that governs the drone industry.

If our members are looking for clarification on anything we assist them and feed back to the IAA. The biggest challenge facing the drone industry in Ireland is from unlicensed operators flying in areas they are not permitted nor qualified to fly in. This puts people at risk which will be detrimental for everyone. The recent shutdown of Cork Airport is an example of how the actions of a few can have an negative impact on the industry."

What should a beginner buy?

"Definitely start with a microdrone, these are about €50 if not less. They are far safer than a regular consumer drone because of their very lightweight construction. They can take a lot of punishment and are great for learning and developing your skill levels. It’s also less of an outlay if you end up crashing than a bigger drone. If you want to learn more, one of the training schools, www.Flyryte.com , have recently launched an online course to give you an overview of drone safety and what you need to know. This is currently on offer at €59. When I did my ground school training, I was amazed by the things I would never have previously considered."

We'd like to thank Fergal for his help in illustrating our Traffic Returns and Traffic Chaos articles we're hoping he'll help promote Johnstown in our Tidy Towns activities.