LOCAL aviation company Swiss Jet has acquired two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), commonly known as drones.
REPORT BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA
The technology is rare in Africa and is still in its inception stage in some developed countries.
According to Wikipedia, a drone is an aircraft without a human pilot on board.
Its flight is controlled either autonomously by computers in the vehicle or under the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle.
Speaking to NewsDay yesterday, Honour Moyo, Swiss Jet operations manager, said they were seeking to encourage the corporate world to embrace drone technology in their businesses. “ The idea is to encourage the corporate world to use drone technology in their commercial operations,” said Moyo.
“We are starting to look for tenders in that regard starting January.”
Moyo said one of the UAVs was acquired three weeks ago from the United States while they had had the other one for more than three months.
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He said their aim was to foster advancement of people’s lives rather than for people to think in a militant manner.
To promote the technology, Swiss Jet has partnered with African Sun and created holiday packages for schoolchildren, corporates and the public.
The partnership will see Swiss Jet hosting aviation themed fashion shows featuring Leonard Dembo and Michael Jackson-inspired outfits around the country next year.
He said next year they would hold air shows around the country that will culminate in a major air show in Harare towards the end of 2014.
Moyo said sectors that could take advantage of the technology were real estate, transport, mining, telecommunication, health and safety and surveying, among others.
