Drones are cool and there are more drones on the market just as there is more purpose for their use as time passes by. Drones basically find their place in everything from their application in the art to military purposes and these days we can see them in airsoft fields as well. I like the idea of drones and there are multiple ways how we can employ them in airsoft.
Drones are primarily used in airsoft for recording footage and photos, but can also be used for intel purposes and there is room for their improvement which could eventually lead them to be used as flying machines that unleash the BBs and terrorize innocents all over the field.
I decided to mention a few useful applications for drones in airsoft that have found their place already, so perhaps you can get a drone and put some seasoning at top of airsoft games.
I will also mention which way the technology seems to go and whether we will see drones being used as battle machines or not. So, let’s begin with the best drone applications that you can get on.
Make amazing footage
Does your field have a guy who operates on drones and makes amazing footage that you can find later on a field’s website and spot yourself on it? This is a cool way to capture some amazing moments that are not possible to be taken from any but bird’s perspective.
This is the most common way that drones are utilized today and if you spot one on your field, then you should not shoot at it because it presents no threat to you instead you better say „cheese“ when it passes by you.
If you are a photographer or think that there will be more applications for your drone footage I would think no longer and invest in one that can resist the wind and shoot in full HD.
If you do not have a big interest in working as a photographer or filmmaker, drones can still be a nice way to capture those moments in the life of your friends and you whether it is in the airsoft field or somewhere else.
Just look at this awesome footage that you can capture as well, it is not difficult to operate with it at all after some experience.
Collect important information for your team
We are moving to intel stuff here, I like strategies and airsoft is a great sport where you can apply many tactics and strategies to beat the opponent team. Those who can outsmart their enemies win, the strength and reflexes alone do not mean much when taken by surprise.
Intel collecting is a must way for any professional special ops or military unit globally, and drones allow us to get closer to the realism in airsoft. Imagine how valuable information can be when you spy on your enemies from above and check their formations and paths of moving.
If you become a team technician then you could operate with drones and gather this important intel and therefore win matches almost on your own.
This is especially applicable in skirmishes or whenever there is an objective that you and your team need to work on. Drones in this case make so much sense and feel so good, although the enemy team probably won’t agree with us unless they have a „drone guy“ too.
This leads us to the only problem that there is, and it is the field’s regulations. Today, there are some local airsoft fields that employ drones already and they are having lots of fun with them but they are still not often used for such purposes but rather for taking footage.
I believe that drones will be more popular with time and as a matter of fact, they may be a part of the future airsoft tactics, at least for those who take it seriously and enjoy strategizing to lead them to victory.
Check your local field rules and see whether you can use drones or not, I agree that it is kind of unfair for the enemy team if they are getting observed without a possibility to prevent it from happening but if they also have a drone or if there are some rules that balance these things out, then it makes perfect sense!
Shooting battle machines in the skies
This is as close as it gets to the fiction that becomes reality in airsoft fields and is not far from an actual realization, we may see this kind of stuff in the future that is not that far away. I have not seen any fields so far but the I like the idea and believe it is possible to integrate it with some adjustments.
The shooting drones are not only cool and could be used for strategies and live-action role-playing (think about modern warfare cod games, rainbow six sieges, or the terminator franchise) but they also make lots of sense in airsoft and only add up to the realism when such game modes are played.
Speedsoft would not appreciate drones, which makes perfect sense but capturing the flag while being protected by a drone that is operated by one of your teammates is exactly what we want.
This can be achieved by attaching an AEG or a shooting device to the drone’s foothill and connecting a few wires that will make it operate on demand.
The biggest issue that occurs here and which is also the reason that we are not seeing these on the fields is the expensive nature of drones and the lack of rules that would balance the game.
A drone can cost between $100 and $1000 or more and if someone takes it down with a gun, the expenses are huge. On the other hand, if you set up rules that will forbid players from shooting the drone, then what is the point of having a killing machine in the sky that takes down everyone but is protected by the rules?
I think that the answer lies in improved technology that I have not yet seen being employed, but would not a shield with sensors do the job? I mean if you protect the drone’s body with something light (and BBs do not inflict much damage anyways) and put the sensors that light the LEDs when hit, then we could track when his drone out of the game while simultaneously protecting it from harm.
So, just check out this killer video, I was amazed.
Maybe I am overacting but I think that this would be cool and such a new „technician“ role would make sense and be entertaining, beside the drone piloting, a technician can also plant traps and gather the intel through other electronic devices.
The government law
If you decide to get a drone and start using it for any of mentioned purposes, and it is probably for taking footage or spying on the opponent team (if everyone agreed), you need to be aware that there is some government law that varies from state to state.
This law strictly forbids monitoring of drones above groups of people and in some cases, you will need to have permission to fly the drone in the sky at all, especially if you want to capture some awesome footage from good angles that are far in the sky.
Check what the law says before you get a drone because there are fines for those who do not and they are not sweating. In my experience dealing with the law is not an issue and gets done quite quickly, unless you plan to fly it above the heads of people which is often forbidden due to the precautions.