ATLANTA — It has been three years since WSB became the first television station in the nation to fly drones legally for news-gathering purposes.
Meteorologist Brad Nitz spent a year to lead a team of engineers, producers and pilots on a mission to get WSB's drone certification and it has paid off in big ways.
WSB engineer Cliff Rogers, who is a licensed pilot, was also key in getting the program off the ground.
One of the biggest obstacles the station faced was meeting the requirements for the FAA's 333 exemption.
"Which allowed you to fly under the current rules for airplanes and helicopters," Rogers said.
That allowed WSB to fly from the start.
Partnerships with the FAA, Georgia Tech and Gwinnett County Fire and Rescue helped develop safe operational protocols not just for WSB-TV, but for all stations across the country.
Our initial flight was only the beginning for WSB and its leadership in the rapidly growing field of news gathering and drones.
To date, we have 14 licensed pilots and 15 drones – making for a game changer for news gathering.
"You don't want to use the drone every time, but with their eye of looking at what the scene is and what they want to convey to the public," NewsDrone 2 pilot Jerry Thielemann said.
The Interstate 85 bridge collapse, Hurricane Irma, and the recent flooding along the Carolina coast are just a few examples of the powerful images NewsDrone 2 has supplied for Channel 2 Action News.
Along with our cutting-edge HD camera and mapping technology in NewsChopper2, WSB-TV continues to lead the way in aviation technology.