Over the past few years most of the news on drone use in ski resort has focused on them being banned for recreational use due to concerns about safety, including the potentially catastrophic results of a drone colliding with a ski lift.
However, the professional use of drones has transformed filming of resorts and particularly of the best skiers and snowboarders doing their stuff either for movies or in competitions.
It seems that drones are now increasingly being used by resort workers to improve the way they do tasks that previously required a helicopter or a lot of hiking to reach remote areas.
The magazine reports that Aspen Mountain Rescue team has begun using a drone fitted with an infrared camera and a second powerful zoom camera to help locate lost hikers in summer and skiers in winter. The drone apparently scored its first success locating a lost hiker earlier this month.
Transworld Snowboarding says Aspen is the first in the US to use drones this way but they think the idea will catch on.
