Big-league drones are taking flight over Connecticut, where WVIT, the NBC O&O in Hartford, is unleashing its new DroneRanger fleet to boost weather and news coverage.
The DroneRanger fleet features flying machines with high-def zoom lenses and are capable of flying at night, WVIT said. The station is putting the drones to work in partnership with PhotoFlight Aerial Media.
“Drone technology allows us to apply a unique perspective to every aspect of news coverage,” said Susan Tully, the station’s president and general manager. Drones, for instance, greatly enhanced the coverage of a recent fire that destroyed a local landmark, she said.
“From capturing distinctive views of local news and weather events to changes in the seasons, nothing compares to the viewpoint from high above the New England landscape,” Tully said.
WVIT and PhotoFlight Aerial Media conducted extensive testing to make sure the deployment DroneRanger fleet adheres to federal, state and local regulations, the station said. When the fleet is in-flight, an on-the-ground team of professional pilots and visual observers will be in constant communication with WVIT producers inside the station to ensure safety.
Live aerial shots from the drones will be distributed across desktop and mobile platforms as well as on-air.
(Photo via Andrew Turner's Flickr. Image taken on July 12, 2017 and used per Creative Commons 2.0 license. The photo was cropped to fit 9x16 aspect ratio.)
