In my book “Sky Witness to Murder” Jake Goodman is an agricultural drone operator. While taking a bird’s eye view of a North Mississippi soybean field, Jake’s drone also captures photographs related to a slaying.
Could that really happen? Wouldn’t the killer hear the drone?
We’ll answer those questions in a minute.
But seriously, is “drone pilot” a paying job? Are agricultural quadcopters really a thing?
If you’re a farmer or a drone operator, you already know the answer to both questions is yes.
Drones are an important part of modern agriculture.
They can scan a crop and tell the farmer if parts of the field are too dry or need certain nutrients.
One of Jake’s clients, farmer Steve Wilburn, explains it like this:
“Farmers are the most risk-averse people there are … Everything we do is a gamble, dependent on the weather and the whims of the market. If there’s anything I can do to improve my odds, I’m going for it. The drone helps me catch problems early and react quickly, which can save thousands of dollars in crop losses per field. Believe me, it more than pays for itself.
… After Jake Goodman sends his drone out over my field, he provides orthomosaic images, which are fed into a special software to create prescription maps. The maps show me what and where specific actions are needed, such as increasing or decreasing nitrogen spread or trouble spots. Then we feed that prescription directly into my John Deere.”
But the drone information has a purpose beyond tractors and combines.
Wilburn, who farms in North Mississippi, tells a newspaper reporter how crop duster named Ace Finney uses drone images in his work:
“In the old days, the crop duster covered every inch of the field with equal amounts of chemicals. Now he enters Jake’s data into a computer on his plane, and using a GPS, it sprays a prescribed amount exactly where it’s needed. This way is better for the environment because Ace uses only the exact amount needed instead of spreading insecticides and whatnot out there where they’re not required. Plus, it saves money because I’m not paying for supplies I don’t need.”
Farmers around the world use drones. Besides soybean crops such as the one Jake assesses for Steve Wilburn, quadcopters soar over rice, wheat, corn, and cotton fields, as well as citrus groves. Some farmers buy their own drones and do the work themselves, but ag drones are expensive and there’s a bit of a learning curve. Most hire an expert like Jake Goodman, who keeps up with trends and can provide a prompt assessment of the crop, so the farmer can act quickly to remedy problems.
But let’s get back to our earlier questions.
Yes, it could happen. The drone could easily take in footage other than the intended crop assessment.
And no, you might not hear a drone, even if it was right overhead. Many of the big, unmanned aircraft are nearly silent.
Picture an eagle-sized device quietly approaching, with four to six fast-spinning, knife-sharp blades.
It could be deadly.
So the question is, did Jake’s drone simply capture footage of the murder, or did he use it as a weapon?
You’ll have to read “Sky Witness to Murder” to find out.
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