Travis Jack unloaded a drone out of his car on Tuesday and placed it on the ground.
Drones don’t like the cold as much as people, he said, as he grabbed a tablet-sized remote control and a tripod from the trunk. Cold weather – it was 30 degrees outside – saps juice from the drone’s already short battery life.
Jack’s drone isn’t the small toy kind that buzzes through the living room and bounces off walls, though – his drone costs $15,000, has six propellers and sounds like a swarm of hornets.
Travis and Megan Jack make up the husband-and-wife duo that owns and runs the Raleigh-based Flyboy Aerial Photography. Travis Jack got started flying drones and taking pictures as a hobby, while Megan Jack was working in real estate marketing.
They decided to go pro two years ago as friends started to take notice of the photos Travis Jack was taking. Now, they’re shooting corporate events, marathons, college promos and even WRAL’s backdrop for the morning and evening newscasts.
“(The business has) really taken flight,” Travis Jack said.
Megan and Travis Jack are the only two employees of Flyboy for now, though they contract with two freelancers for bigger jobs.
The couple takes photos and videos for commercial use, but Travis Jack said he’s been hired to do inspections on homes and sewers using the drones.
With new federal regulations on drones, Megan Jack said, the unmanned aircraft can be a controversial subject, but they also offer cheaper alternatives to common situations, such as search and rescue operations. Instead of sending up a helicopter to search through woods from above, a drone can be launched to patrol an area and live-stream its view back to the operator on the ground.
With all the applications drones already have, and more that are sure to come, Travis Jack said the future of drones is bright, or, in flying terms, “the sky’s the limit.”
On Jan. 26, WRAL TechWire will host First in Flight: The Ups and Downs of Drone Technology as part of its quarterly Executive Exchange programming. Travis Jack will speak on a panel about opportunities in drone technology. Other panels will discuss drone business, investment opportunities and legal issues.
