TULSA, Okla. — Flying high across Green Country’s skies, these relatively small devices pack a big punch, providing stunning aerial views.
Ray Neal is a Green Country drone pilot. A few years ago, a drone race on ESPN captured his attention.
"It’s a fantastic hobby. It’s open to everybody. It involves creativity," Neal said, "You get to do you things you can’t normally, and you get to be creative with that. The sky is literally the limit."
Drones are used by commercial operators like Neal but also at the highest levels of government. According to the Department of Defense, the U.S. uses around 11,000 drones.
Mayor GT Bynum said he is excited for Tulsa’s prospects in the drone industry. During his State of the City address, he outlined the reasons he believes Tulsa is in a position to lead the way.
"Tulsa’s legacy aerospace expertise, nationally recognized research at TU and OSU, and the appetite of local energy, healthcare, agriculture, and logistics corporations make Tulsa the perfect fit," Bynum said.
Damon Platt is another drone photographer whose photos frequently circulate across Tulsa's social media circles. He even shot the picture used in the background of the 2 News Oklahoma set.
"The hardest thing is keeping track of all the laws, to know where you can fly legally, where you can’t, and whatnot," Platt said.
Neal agrees; if Tulsa is going to lean into this, he said, they should take action to assist civilians.
He suggested "some basic signage out and about where drone operators fly."
"We will establish Tulsa as the world’s leader in advanced aerial mobility," Bynum said.
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