Indianapolis CW affiliate WISH says it’s officially launching the first news gathering drone in Indiana on Tuesday.
The drone, called AVI8OR, shoots in high definition and is the “first federally-sanctioned quadcopter aircraft cleared for media use in Indiana.”
“I’m thrilled that months of training and preparation have paid off with WISH-TV being able to unveil this technology,” said WISH news director Elbert Tucker. “AVI8OR’s debut marks the latest chapter in 24-Hour News 8’s long standing commitment of being on the cutting edge, always looking for new ways of providing better storytelling for our viewers.”
Keith McCutchen, the pilot who flies the station’s chopper, spent weeks training in Colorado to pilot the DJI Inspire 1 Model.
“I’m very excited to be able to fly it, bringing this type of coverage to our viewers,” said McCutchen. “It required a lot of training on both the technology side as well as learning all the new FAA regulations. I had no idea initially it would be more difficult to fly than a helicopter.”