The Rise Of Droneboarding As Extreme Winter Sport And Search & Rescue Asset

Drones are fast becoming more and more common, with millions of enthusiasts using the flying machines for fun and work. Now, another concept enters the stage, which involves using drones to pull snowboarders over frozen lakes and icy mountainsides. Called Droneboarding, the hobby might just become the next extreme winter sport as well as an asset for search & rescue.

The new trend involves the giant drone that Latvian company Aerones made, Phys.org reports. The drone has a length of three meters (nine feet) and has 16 propellers to power its flight. As commercial drones go, this isn’t what anyone would call an average flying machine.

In terms of its capabilities, it is capable of going 60 mph on average. However, it could theoretically reach speeds of up to 94 mph, provided its load is light enough and it isn’t going up against a strong headwind.

Up to four snowboarders could latch on to the drone, being pulled via ropes that are attached to handles like those used for water-skiing. If not four snowboarders, it could pull something that’s the equivalent of 320lbs, which could come in mighty handy during search & rescue operations. Getting trapped skiers or snowboarders out of a cover of heavy snow could prove easy for the drone.

Janis Putrams, CEO of Aerones also noted that the drone could even be used to lift people off of rooftops in case of floods, deliver goods to remote locations, or even carry payloads containing foam or water to douse forest fires. Basically, the drone has a lot of potential applications that Putrams has placed enormous hopes on, Inquisitr reports.

Next on the list for the company is actually providing the snowboarders with the ability to control the drone themselves. If they succeed, it could open the floodgates for new extreme activities in other environments.