The Aeryon SkyRanger. The OPP’s name for it is an “unmanned aerial system”.(Photo/Quinte News).
It’s no “garden variety” drone. The Ontario Provincial Police is deploying world class “Unmanned Aerial Systems (common name drone) in the skies above the
Quinte region and other parts of the province.
Unlike the many drones flying about costing a couple of thousand dollars, the OPP’s Aeryon SkyRanger costs around $100,000 and is used by elite military
units in both the U.S. and Canada. In fact, it is flown by our most elite military unit, Joint Task Force 2. The drone is small and light and can be easily transported.
It can fly in a steady breeze of up to 65 kmh, and can handle gusts of up to 90 kmh, all the while remaining level and producing useful images. The drone can work through rain and snowstorms.
It flies at speeds ranging from 2 kmh to 50 kmh and it’s vertical flying is similar to that of a helicopter.
OPP Sergeant John Martin told the Quinte West Police Services Board today (Tuesday) that their organization is using the SkyRanger mostly for the investigation of
serious traffic collisions.
The UAS can photograph scenes from the sky, from countless angles, allowing collision investigations to be completed much faster than having officers on the ground with tape measures in hand.
The drone is also a great help in search and rescue missions, abductions, drug and other criminal investigations.
