Camera Drones and Woman, Times are a Changing!

Los Angeles, CA—The wildly popular camera multi-rotor camera drones had few women admirers.  Advances in technology has facilitated and enabled the drone camera industry explosion just in the last two years.

I became hooked on drones was slightly over a year ago however I was really disappointed by a lack of interest by women in this incredibly exciting and creative endeavor. 

Going to model aircraft flying fields was always an all male event.  Not a wife, daughter, girlfriend of the drone pilots were in sight.  Okay, I have a fondness for women and not seeing any of them enjoying something I’m relishing so much was disappointing.

I suspect that the perceived technical issues and mechanics of the drones had intimidated women.   There are four things a successful drone camera pilot needs to learn.

The actual piloting of an unmanned multi-rotor aircraft is really not too difficult to learn.  The technical issues like GPS and physical intricacies of the aircraft are absorbed with time.  Knowing how the cameras work and enjoying photography is important. 

Knowing how to edit video is really a must.  That used to be difficult but with the modern software products it’s a snap. 

The last needed skill is writing or story telling.  Drone videos need either music or a voiceover to cover the annoying motor noise of the natural sound.  This is easily accomplished with the editing software.  

YouTube is loaded with tutorials on everything you need to know.  Some instructional videos are better than others. 

Notwithstanding the FAA ban on commercial use of drones you cannot see a TV program, feature film or even a commercial that does not have drone video incorporated.  Many producers are flying drone operators off shore to capture the stunning images. 

Flying a drone is fun, addictive and satisfying.  I can only describe this a close as you can experience flying on a magic carpet.  It’s so empowering to see things from above.   One significant benefit is that you’ll never have to fear losing your life operating a drone. 

One additional thing is certain, there will be plenty jobs for those people that have embraced this wonderful technology. 

Finally, the good news is that women are beginning to actually love flying drones!  The intimidation has been reduced by drone marketing efforts and of course their seeing pre-teens operating drones doesn’t hurt.

Women need to know that there are lots of men that would enjoy sharing this hobby and teaching women about the these amazing devices.

I’m putting a drone documentary together.  I still need to assemble some important interviews and video but I landed an interview from an elegant, conventional pilot Abbe Lyle that loves drones.  Abbe lives up in Sacramento and is also a high profile drone pilot.  You can meet Abbe here.

My Drone Documentary, A Sneak Preview, Meet Abby Lyle.

Abbe Lyle, photographer, conventional aircraft and drone pilot.

Los Angeles, CA—As we speak I’m producing a documentary about multi-rotor camera drones and their pilots.

There is so much ignorance, fear and loathing out there clouding the truth.  Every day various conventional aircraft pilots are reporting drone sightings.  Are these things somehow a public threat?

This trend is very reminiscent of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s when Hollywood films about flying saucers and little green men were very popular.  Suddenly there were imaginative but somewhat credible sounding UFO and alien sightings by various airline pilots reported in the news almost nightly.

Now it's the multi-rotor drones some of which have been reported being seen by some pilots at 30,000 feet and traveling at Mach 1.  If you own or operate these little devices you know the claims are quite ridicules.

As a licensed private investigator and drone pilot I can say they are ineffective for spying on people.  I’m better off with a standard camera with a large and heavy telephoto lens that these drones are incapable of carrying. 

The drones make noise and have necessary navigation lights that are more than obvious. 

The safety record for the multi-rotors are free from and deaths or serious injuries.  Helicopters world wide number around 7000 and its interesting to learn there are well more than a million of these drones already in questionably trained and unlicensed civilian hands. We all know only too well about catastrophic helicopter crashes in all of our major cities. 

The reality is that for filmmakers, photographers, mapmakers, surveyors, insurance adjusters, real estate marketing, farmers, ranchers and such the multi-rotor drones are an important new tool.  They are very necessary for maintaining our food supply. 

Camera drones are by far the safest and least expensive way for news organization to gather news images and video for broadcast and publishing.

New uses for the drones are being discovered everyday including police crime scene and accident investigations.  That, along with delivering defibrillators, life savers to endangered victims faster than our best paramedics and lifeguards.

Drone bans are under study nearly everywhere and to bring sunshine onto these technological gifts we need to educate people especially the politicians.  That’s why I’ve undertaken this documentary.

In my quest to tell the multi-rotor drone story I found the beautiful and elegant Abbe Lyle.  She’s a professional photographer, mother, conventional aircraft pilot and she is a camera drone disciple of the first order.

Some well known celebrity drone owner/pilots include Jeff Dunham, Bruce Jenner, Rupert Murdock and Martha Stewart.  That list is growing every day. 

Abbe Lyle is a refined lady that as you will see operates her drone like a true professional.  Watching her movements is like what you see at the ballet.

You will see and hear much more from Abbe and others when I release the full documentary.