The drone is starting to make waves, both in the media and among the general public.
Best known for its military qualities, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) now seems to be making inroads into certain professions, such as the police, the gendarmerie and journalists, who have recently started using them to reach places inaccessible to man, either because of danger or because of a perilous geographical situation.
But what is a drone, and how can it be used?
Here are some answers.
What is a drone?
The drone is therefore a totally autonomous aircraft, with no human pilot on board.
It is also unique in that it can be piloted remotely, but not only remotely, as it can also be autonomous.
On the other hand, it is perfectly capable of taking orders or instructions during a flight.
This aircraft, widely used by the armed forces of various countries, is also a formidable photo and video capture tool.
It can be used to capture images that are totally improbable.
The quality of the drone has also given rise to a new market, such as Dronecast, which offers to produce videos on demand by drone.
Of course, the cost of this service represents a multi-figure bill!
A revolutionary use, imagined by Amazon
UAVs are therefore mainly used for so-called secret or confidential military missions, in other words, combat UAVs.
But the intelligent device has sparked the interest of Amazon, in particular Jeff Bezos, the group’s founder and current CEO.
The crazy idea of this billionaire boss (26th richest person in the world in 2012, with a personal fortune of over 16 billion francs) was to use the drone as a modern-day “letter carrier”.
While the idea may seem tempting, promising deliveries in record time, it is equally unfeasible, for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, safety.
There is a clear difference between military and civilian drones, the latter being much less efficient than the former.
Secondly, there is the question of the reliability of the civilian drone, as numerous tests have shown that drones are not infallible, and the loss of a parcel en route could well be a reality, posing considerable problems for both buyer and seller.
If a package is lost in the middle of nowhere, it’s hard to make a claim… And last but not least, it’s impossible not to think about the possibility of the aircraft crashing in mid-air, which could result in material damage as well as serious and/or fatal accidents.
Outstanding image capture
Civilian drones have enough qualities to offer incredible videos and some of the most breathtaking shots imaginable. 
Anything can be imagined, since the drone can go where man is still incapable of doing so.
If the drone has won unanimous approval from audio-visual professionals, it’s undoubtedly for its ability to get in anywhere.
Many animal shows, for example, offer magical or even moving spectacles, thanks to the results of the drone, which also makes less noise and causes less damage than its “helicopter” counterpart. In a completely different genre, it’s becoming a real marketing tool for real estate agencies.
Ads are more likely to be read if they include photos or even videos seen from the air.
So, with a drone, the images you put forward take on a whole new look: aerial views of the different sides of the house, the orientation of an apartment in a building, the layout of the rooms, the size of the plot, the neighborhood or its proximity… So many things that can be an asset to the sale or rental of real estate. 
Clear advantages over helicopters
Some drones (especially combat drones) have also been designed to outperform helicopters in terms of usability.
The rotor blades of helicopters often prevent them from getting very close to action zones.
For this reason, several companies are developing vertical take-off and landing UAVs, which use only 20% of the surface area required by helicopters to leave or land on the ground.
A high-priced toy
This incredible machine is a veritable revolution in the world of images and video.
The price of a legally-regulated drone is several thousand francs, and it’s hard to put an exact figure on it.
On the public market, a “small” drone with on-board camera sells for between 500 and 7,000 francs.
Between a 35° and 360° view, shock-resistant material, autonomy that can be tripled, or the ability to withstand temperatures ranging from -10°C to 40°C for some, these are just some of the factors that make the price difference.
This type of device is a far cry from the airplane-like combat drone, these are “domestic” drones that can easily be stored on a shelf in a garage.
Few people have access to them, and they can be unpredictable and highly controlled by the state.
Flying over homes without authorization can be very costly for the pilot!
