Drones Are Being Used For Lots Of Things; Some Are Recreational And Some Are Not, And This One Is Up For Grabs

We are only a couple of weeks away from our infamous April 1 issue of Aero-News, and at first blush, this story looks like we may be getting a head start. People are finding new uses for drones around the world and this story about Droneboarding came out of Russia.

It appears the term “Droneboarding” showed up on the website, The Verge, and has now spread to various sources including YouTube. Recreational drones are being used for about everything now, including racing and aerobatics, and one has even been clocked at more than 80 miles per hour. These probably do fall into the realm of sport and recreational use.

The dilemma here is that the drone is being used as an airborne motor to pull a boy on a ski board. The question becomes, is this truly an aero sport when it’s the motor that flies, but the thing that it’s propelling does not? We are convinced that as more people are introduced to what has been called Droneboarding, the door to innovation has only been cracked open. Could drones be used to pull wheeled vehicles such as bicycles or wagons? How long will it be before we have drone pulls replacing the ever popular sport of tractor pulls?

Then of course, how is it regulated? If the drone is attached to a tether that pulls some sort of a vehicle, does it become something the FAA wants us to register, or is it a motor vehicle that requires a license to be on the road? Our bet is the issue of drones being used to pull ground vehicles will at least require some congressional committee meetings, and a mandate to the Department of Transportation to do something...or anything... to regulate it.

(Image from YouTube)

FMI: YouTube Source