Surveillance Specialist Uses Balloons, Kites After FAA Ban on Drones
A former Arizona law enforcement officer is using kites and balloons to gather forensic video evidence for crime-scene analysis and accident reconstruction.
Randy Anglin shows 12 News Reporter Joe Dana how his balloon surveillance system works.
PHOENIX – A retired Arizona Department of Public Safety officer who now specializes in surveillance security is using kites and balloons as a means to skirt the FAA’s recent ban on all commercial use of drones.
“Drones are here to stay, and they are a very valuable tool,” Randy Anglin, proprietor of Lionstrike Forensics, told 12 News, an NBC television affiliate located here. “But kites and balloons have become a very valuable tool for what we do.”
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Anglin’s company specializes in crime-scene analysis and accident reconstruction. He told 12 News there are only two regulations on tethered aircraft: They cannot be operated above 500 feet within five miles of an airport, and they can’t weigh more than five pounds.
“It’s tethered. That’s the big difference. And some day they may end up putting some sort of regulation on tethered equipment,” he said.
Though drones are ideal for steady shots of video in short spurts, Anglin has discovered that kites and balloons have their own advantages. They can stay in the air for days at a time and they are much cheaper. Winds at a speed of 5 to 30 mph are needed to keep the kite afloat and stable. The balloon relies on about $75 worth of helium and should fly in little to no wind to be useful.
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“More wind allows for the kite to go straight up and be more useful. With less wind, the balloon goes straight up,” Anglin said while demonstrating his implements for 12 News. A five-foot kite with a Go-Pro camera attached to its string flew about a hundred feet in the air. A large balloon, about five feet in diameter, was tethered to his jeep as well, blowing in the breeze a couple dozen feet above the ground.
Anglin’s clients include police agencies, corporations and civil attorneys. He captures photos and video that are used most often for real estate development, government site surveys and accident reconstruction. He has also provided surveillance video of properties that are targeted by thieves for satellite dishes, copper and steel.
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