Video: Using Drones to Explore Natural Beauty

Drones are not just being used for military spying, but have got a whole new purpose: adventure sports and taking aerial pictures of some extraordinary natural beauty.

Anchor Marco Werman talks to Remo Mesina, a drone operator for Dedicam, a company that specializes in using remote-controled helicopters to shoot video.

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Marco Werman: There is a non-controversial role for drones in Pakistan. They can take aerial pictures of some extraordinary natural beauty. Remo Mesina is a drone operator for Dedicam which is a company that specializes in using remote-controlled helicopters to shoot video. Now, Remo you were in Pakistan using a remote-controlled aircraft but not for the military; you were in the Himalayas, in the dramatic Karakoram mountain range. Tell us what you were doing.

Remo Mesina: Our goal was to capture the climbers David Lama and Peter Ortner by climbing the Trango Tower. The challenge was to get some aerial footage from the day when they climbed up the mountain.

Werman: And why not just use helicopters like a lot of camera crews do?

Mesina: The drone gives you a special angle and you can go much closer than with the real one. It’s also much easier just to take your small helicopter in your pocket and you don’t have to fly it down there.

Werman: So, what kind of results do you get from using remote-controlled aircraft to do the photography for you? Is it that you get images that you’ve never seen before?

Mesina: Yeah. You can offer a special angle. If you take a real helicopter, you are further away. If you’re on the wall, you’re just very close with additional angle to documentation to climbing.

Werman: Give us a description of some of the images you got that just…even struck you as pretty extraordinary.

Mesina: I think the best picture I got was from the summit; when I just got the call on the walkie-talkie and I flew up and I had seen the three guys on the top of this mountain and I could fly around. This is what’s really impressive for me.

Werman: Well, you can see some of Remo’s amazing drone footage; we have videos at theworld.org. Remo Mesina, drone operator for Dedicam, thank you so much for speaking with us.

Mesina: Thank you.

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Mammut 150 Years Peak Project: Trango Tower, Pakistan (6286m / 20,623ft) – RC Helicopter Sample Footage

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