The use of Drones (RPAS) has exponentially risen over the years both recreationally and commercially. Commercial drones are not only more maneuverable than manned vehicles; they are also applicable in more locations, where expensive fixed-wing and rotary aircraft were once the standard for observing from above, drones now provide the same data collection capacity and reduces cost of operation by up to 90%.

Application of Drones in different sectors

• Industries that require aerial imaging for data collection can benefit from the introduction of drone technology.
• In the agricultural industry, a single drone operator can inspect entire fields in the time that it would take someone on foot to view one row of beans.
• The oil and gas industry use commercial drones to inspect pipelines, flare stacks vandalism and spillage in addition to collection of data.
• Weather agencies use unmanned aerial vehicles to gather data on storms and atmospheric patterns — particularly in locations that would be dangerous or unfeasible for stationary equipment or personnel.
• Drones are also used in firefighting, search and rescue, airfield delivery, runway threshold inspection among others.