KRDO NewsChannel 13 partners with drone company

We have a new tool to give you a whole new perspective on the news. We’ve partnered with a Colorado Springs drone company to expand our coverage to the sky. And as you’ll see, this technology will allow us to give you an exclusive view.

A look at the latest beetle epidemic from an angle we’ve never been able to show you before.

From more than 9,000 feet, this state-of-the-art drone is able to pick up the smallest details and give us the broadest perspective.

“Part of the reason I started this company is because once I put a camera up in the sky, I fell in love with what I saw. It’s just a totally different, unique, bird-eye view,” Scott Randall said.

Retired Air Force Major and private pilot Scott Randall started Pikes Peak Aerial three years ago, becoming one of the first legal, commercial drone operators in Colorado Springs. We partnered with Randall because of his experience and his high-tech drone – equipped with one of the best cameras on the market.

“All the advanced camera features that a photographer or videographer always had in their hand-held, we can now control from the ground,” Randall said.

The drone itself has built-in safety precautions to prevent collisions, and an extended life battery, ensuring it won’t fall from the sky.

All geeky-ness aside, the views are what sold us on this partnership.

“We’re finally going to get a birds-eye of all of these beautiful places and just a unique perspective that we haven’t seen before,” Randall said.

Views of our landscape and history, unsurpassed by a view from the ground.

“This is an exciting project,” Randall said.

For those of you wondering, Randall uses a DJI Inspire II. It’s the latest on the market for commercial use.

To see how we’re using this drone technology to inform you, watch us this Monday and Tuesday at ten for our special series: The Future of the Forest.