Some final thoughts on using a drone for video

Our drone operator, Chris Gegax

Comment by decorahnews.com's Paul Scott:

Do you own a smartphone?  Not everyone does yet, but certainly a lot of Americans have discovered how useful hey are.

It's that way with every new technology--at first, people think it's a little unusual, but then when they get a chance to use it, they can't do without it.

I think small personal drones with cameras will soon follow smartphones in popularity.  Having conducted an experiment with using a drone to get video of the Nordic Fest Parade, it seems to me that a lot of other people will be tempted to try using a drone--and will like the results.

A small drone would be a big help to farmers to monitor crops, to real estate salespeople wanting to show off properties and to home inspectors wanting to look at roofs.  It's not a stretch to foresee police and fire departments using drones in dangerous situations such a fire--so human lives won't have to be put at risk.

And, yes, small drones will probably become a staple of news coverage.  decorahnews.com has no immediate plans to rush out to buy a drone, but we sure see the advantages of having one.

I think the day is coming when it won't be unusual to walk outside your house or office and encounter a drone.  They're very useful--and not nearly as intrusive as you might think.

P.S.: A sharp-eyed reader asked us if our aerial footage of the Decorah HS Marching Band was really of the Viking Band--or perhaps a different marching band.  After looking at allllll of our drone video, we realized we had the wrong band!  Updated video is now available by clicking here.