32 March 27, 2014 2014 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
One of the features that impressed him was
when he sent it to a higher altitude and was
able to view several square miles at one time.
“It really gave me the bird’s-eye view that I
couldn’t get otherwise,” he commented.
It used to be that for an aerial view of the
fields, farmers relied on a local pilot. And,
oftentimes, companies who performed
that service would take weeks to get data
and reports back to the owner. Now, that
information can be delivered in real time.
Different cameras and thermal imaging
deliver information that wasn’t available
before.
Grathwohl’s drone is powered by a LiPo 11.1-
volt battery. At zero degrees, the drone can fly
for 10 to 12 minutes, with the camera rated for
17 minutes. At an outdoor temperature of 70
degrees, flight time jumps to 30 minutes. We
know those times will increase as technology
progresses.
Drones will be a huge boon to the farm
industry, and their benefits will extend well
beyond the field. While capable of achieving
so many tasks, it’s unknown if they’ll be
delivering lunches to the field. Some things are
just better done by people.
By Roy Logan
