Video from the Draganflyer UAS can be viewed on the RCMP YouTube channel.

Detailed information is available on the RCMP homepage.

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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is a leading North American national police force, covering three Canadian territories, eight provinces, more than 190 municipalities, 184 Aboriginal communities, and three international airports.

The “F” division is responsible for the Saskatchewan region and like other divisions, is always looking for new technology to improve their level of service to the citizen and better ensure the safety of their officers.

Read how they are using the Draganfly UAV systems, learn about their experience, and better understand how the aircraft improve their level of service. In one year, the “F” division flew 99 missions with an average flight time of 6.6 minutes/mission required to gather the aerial data required.

And when you look at the numbers, just imagine the incredible cost savings to the agency. Had a full size aircraft been required, the overall cost would reflect operational costs – for the aircraft, pilots, fuel, and in addition, the in-transit costs, to simply gather evidence or document the accident.

With the Draganfly UAV systems, the aircraft can easily fit in the trunk of a patrol car or forensic investigation van and be quickly unfolded and launched to gather the high quality, high resolution images required.

Please take a few minutes to read this latest Draganfly SpotLight article on the RCMP “F” Division.

Draganflyer UAV in the hand of the Grand Forks Country Sheriff’s Department.

December 10, 2012 – FAA Grants Grand Forks County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s Department COA for Draganflyer.

On November 27, 2012 the Federal Aviation Administration issued the Grand Forks County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s Department a Certificate of Authorization (COA) permitting the operation of a Draganflyer small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) within the 16 counties located in northeastern North Dakota.

The original news article can be found at the UASVision website.

Read the press release from Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Department.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan September 29, 2012 (PRWEB Press Release)

The Draganflyer ES (Emergency Services) unmanned aircraft line provides two models, a six rotor Draganflyer X6-ES helicopter and a new larger version with four rotors, the Draganflyer X4-ES helicopter. The X6-ES and X4-ES are models exclusively sold to Public Safety Agencies.

Used to obtain video from an aerial vantage point, these unmanned aircraft feature a digital wireless video down-link, multiple camera payload options with gyro stabilized camera mount, and handheld controllers available with integrated digital video display. The GCS (Ground Control Station) controller provides real-time aircraft telemetry, camera control, on-screen live digital video feed, semi-autonomous flight modes for altitude hold and GPS position hold functions, map location display, and verbal warning messages.

The Draganflyer X6-ES or X4-ES is remotely piloted to the desired location where it is locked in GPS position hold, automatically maintaining position and freeing the operator to view the video displayed on the LCD screen. During flight the operator has the option to record video to the GCS, shoot still images, or network the GCS to other networks and stream real-time video to other devices.

Used with the thermal FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) camera payload, emergency services employ this unmanned aircraft to view hot spots that would normally be invisible to the naked eye. The Draganflyer can be flown into areas for a closer look, removing the need to place anyone in harm’s way, decreasing risk and increasing safety.

Draganflyer aircraft are the first North American federally approved commercially manufactured UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) legal for use by emergency services in North America and have the largest public safety installed base in North America. Available with custom black, red, or yellow bodies, the Draganflyer X6-ES and X4-ES display agency shield and name (Police, Sheriff, or Fire and Rescue).

Draganflyer X4-P

The Draganflyer X4-P is very lightweight and portable. It uses our unique patented folding carbon fiber airframe to fit inside a military-grade case no larger than a suitcase. Transport is a breeze as it can easily fit into the trunk or back seat of a car. This gives the X4-P “all-in-one-box” system the flexibility to go anywhere at any time.

The Draganflyer X4-P integrates safety and durability together with high quality carbon fiber parts, a state-of-the-art folding airframe design, and a sophisticated computerized flight stabilization system. The X4-P features flight batteries with integrated protection circuits that oversee the battery condition and status along with an easy to use battery life indicator, an “auto-landing” feature if the radio link to the helicopter is lost, and an onboard flight data recorder which captures all flight information on a removable memory card.

Our new camera mounting system offers improved camera vibration isolation. We engineered the camera mount to keep the camera completely isolated from the helicopter. Along with an active tilt feature to keep the camera level in forward and backward flight, this combination creates smooth and vibration-free pictures and video.

The X4-P offers all of the standard features of our previous Draganflyer systems. The advanced on-board flight computer system that incorporates our SteadyFlight software processes inputs from eleven individual sensors. These sensors (including a barometric pressure sensor, three accelerometers, three gyroscopes, three magnetometers, and a GPS receiver) compute hundreds of calculations per second, giving optimum flight stability and handling while maintaining simple, easy-to-control functionality.

This Draganfly platform is safer than ever and more than capable of meeting your aerial photography needs for years to come.

Mesa County Sheriff, Colorado receives FAA approval to operate the Draganflyer X6 Helicopter County Wide

Mesa County Sheriff is the first Public Safety Agency to receive an FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA) to operate the Draganflyer X6 helicopter for law enforcement use over a 3,300 square mile area.

This is a significant development because in the past when there was a need to use the Draganflyer X6 helicopter, the Sheriff’s office was required to contact the FAA and request an Emergency COA (eCOA) for the incident at hand. This was time consuming for both the Sheriff and the FAA but even more so, it lead to critical delays in deploying the aircraft.

With this new County Wide approval, the Sheriff’s office is no longer required to contact the FAA each time the aircraft is deployed for use. And this type of approval didn’t come easy. The county wide approval comes after a year or more of in-depth aircraft flight experience, safety practices, program development, use by the agency and the proven solid commitment by the Sheriff’s office to adhere to the FAA practices and policies.

Draganfly is very proud to be one of the first, small unmanned helicopters to receive FAA approval for this use over such a wide area and even more proud of the work, dedication, professionalism and accomplishments of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.

Read more:
Official Colorado News Article

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (PRWEB) Draganfly Innovations Inc. is announcing the release of the new Draganflyer X8 helicopter, a miniature UAV for commercial/industrial aerial video and photography. The unique design utilizes eight main horizontal rotor blades and allows the Draganflyer X8 helicopter to hover efficiently and maneuver rapidly using differential thrust. Eight industrial electric motors allow the Draganflyer X8 to carry heavier and more advanced payloads while providing more safety features than ever before. The Draganflyer X8 will also be compatible with our latest technologies, including the handheld Ground Control Station (GCS) and IP video camera systems.

Draganflyer X8

The increased payload capability of the Draganflyer X8 has allowed it to carry a select variety of digital SLR cameras and various 1080p video cameras. The Draganflyer X8’s industrial-strength electric motors provide increased thrust over the Draganflyer X6, which allows the Draganflyer X8 to carry an increased payload.

Innovative new camera systems will be offered as options for the Draganflyer X8 UAV, including the new IP video cameras. IP video cameras work by transmitting digital video over an 802.11n wifi connection. Digital video is less susceptible to random noise than analog video. Digital video is also more secure because IP cameras work over their own wireless network, which can be encrypted to protect the video stream from unauthorized viewing. Because the IP cameras are digital, they can record video to a buffer in internal memory before streaming it to the receiving station. This means that the cameras can be used to capture high resolution still pictures while video is being recorded. Video from the IP cameras can be streamed over the internet easily, allowing you to transmit your video live to almost anywhere in the world.

The Draganflyer X8 UAV will be our first UAV helicopter to offer the new handheld Ground Control Station (GCS) as an option. The GCS is currently in development; when complete, it will effectively contain all the features of both the handheld controller and the video base station in one handheld package. Running a Linux operating system on an Intel Atom™ processor allows the GCS to run our existing DraganView software and provide helicopter control at the same time.

Safety and durability have been incorporated into the design of each Draganflyer helicopter and the Draganflyer X8 is no exception. It offers more safety features than ever before. Even if an in-flight collision causes one of the motors to stop working, the Draganflyer X8 helicopter, with dual motors on each of the four arms, will still be able to fly using the remaining seven motors. Other safety features include high intensity LED navigation lights for distance or low-light flying and auto-landing if the radio link between the helicopter and its controller is lost. An onboard flight recorder stores telemetry and flight data in a removable memory card. This information can be used for post-flight analysis with our DraganView software.

The Draganflyer X8 UAV helicopter has been designed with a unique folding carbon fiber frame. This allows the Draganflyer X8 to become conveniently compact for storage and transportation. Once the Draganflyer X8 carbon fiber frame is folded, it fits securely in its back-packable case.

The Draganflyer X8 is a fully functional, miniature, unmanned, electric powered helicopter. Aimed at industrial and commercial use, it provides reconnaissance and inspection information using onboard wireless video (equipped with digital video recorders) and still images. The Draganflyer X8 helicopter achieves its stability by using an onboard processor running custom-designed Draganfly software and receiving data from eleven onboard sensors (three gyros, three accelerometers, three magnetometers, one barometric pressure sensor, and one GPS receiver). It is easily piloted by users with minimal training. The Draganflyer X8 helicopter determines its own orientation and motion, moving where the operator instructs it, automatically handling the complex attitude and altitude adjustments that would normally require an experienced pilot.

The Draganflyer X8 helicopter can be put into GPS hold mode where it will maintain its position without any user input. This means that once the GPS hold is activated, the pilot can concentrate on framing the shot using one of the various cameras that the Draganflyer X8 can carry.

The Draganflyer X8 helicopter is flown using a custom-designed handheld controller with a 2.8” color OLED touchscreen that displays telemetry and flight data. The Draganflyer X8 handheld controller receives streaming video sent by the helicopter and in turn, sends this video to a pair of video goggles. The video goggles enable the operator to view what the helicopter is seeing in real-time while also keeping an eye on the helicopter itself.

Identification Constable Marc Sharpe of the Kenora Identification Services Unit, Ontario Provincial Police with Draganflyer X6.

The Draganflyer X6 UAV helicopter, designed by Draganfly Innovations Inc. for aerial photography and videography, was used by the Forensic Identification Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on February 21, 2009 to collect evidence in a homicide investigation in a remote area outside of Kenora, Ontario, Canada. This represented the first operational mission of a federally approved, commercially produced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle by an emergency service in North America.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (PRWEB) March 26, 2009 — From the pages of Popular Science Magazine’s “Top 100 Innovations of the Year“, Draganfly Innovations’ Draganflyer X6 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has made the significant leap to commercial utilization.

The six-rotor, one kilogram, electric, VTOL, UAV helicopter designed for aerial photography and videography was used by the Forensic Identification Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on February 21, 2009 to collect evidence in a homicide investigation in a remote area outside of Kenora, Ontario, Canada. This represented the first operational mission of a federally approved, commercially produced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle by an emergency service in North America.

Then, in March, 2009, the Saskatoon Police Service announced that it will follow suit, becoming the first urban police service in North America to utilize the Draganflyer X6 Police UAV for aerial forensic purposes within city limits.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles such as Draganfly’s Draganflyer X6 helicopter are subject to Transport Canada aviation regulations. Prior to the Saskatoon Police Service being able to test the Draganflyer X6, Transport Canada officials were in Saskatoon for a flight demonstration, to undertake their standard risk assessment testing, and discuss technical issues with Draganfly Innovations.

Under the Special Flight Operations Certificate granted by Transport Canada, Draganfly Innovations personnel will operate the Draganflyer X6 Police UAV Helicopter while Saskatoon Police Service personnel will operate the cameras used for forensic support.

The use of UAVs goes back to the 1950′s with the military, but only recently has it evolved into police applications. One of the innovators was Identification Constable Marc Sharpe of the Kenora Identification Services unit of the Ontario Provincial Police.

The Ontario Provincial Police's Draganflyer X6 UAV helicopter captures high resolution aerial photographs of major case scenes. The Draganflyer X6's onboard camera has remote controlled zoom, tilt and shutter. Typically, one police officer controls the UAV and another operates the camera controls.

The Draganflyer X6 met all Sharpe’s requirements for a Police VTOL UAV. Sharpe continued, “The Draganflyer X6 enables us to economically obtain high quality aerial photos of major case scenes in a timely fashion.”

About Draganfly Innovations Inc.:
Draganfly Innovations Inc. has been manufacturing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles including radio controlled helicopters, airplanes, and airships for the past eleven years. From toys to industrial tools for police and military, Draganfly Innovations Inc. strives for optimum performance and ease of use. Draganfly’s innovative products have been featured on CNN Headline News, MSNBC, Discovery Channel, and in magazines and newspapers such as Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Gizmodo.com, WIRED, GQ, Stuff, Maxim, The New York Times, and The London Times. All Draganflyer helicopters, including the new Draganflyer X6 are exclusively available from Draganfly Innovations Inc.