Be Somewhere Else: FlyThere lets you fly a drone remotely

We recently came across an intriguing new company that makes it possible to fly a drone in remote (and exotic!) locations. What better way to combat mid-winter blues than get to fly remotely in Bali?! We interviewed FlyThere to learn more:

What is FlyThere? How does it work?

FlyThere is the next generation of immersive entertainment. We let you experience the most beautiful places in the world through the eyes of a remote drone and sort of teleport your mind there. We connect you with one of our co pilots in Bali, Thailand, Mexico or Argentina. They are waiting on standby with their drone ready to takeoff. Once the drone is airborne they will hand you the controls and within minutes you will be flying a real drone at the other end of the world right from your home!   You can explore, take photos and fly just as if you were actually there, all you need is a laptop or mobile device. If you want more tactical control you can use a game controller that is very similar to a drone controller.

How did the idea for FlyThere come about? 

In my past I was a world traveler. Over two years of my life were dedicated to exploring our world and experiencing new places. As time went by I settled down, yet the desire for seeing new places has never left me. I knew there must be some way to create an immersive experience that will let me feel as if I am somewhere else in the world. After scratching my head quite a bit, I realized that drones are the perfect answer! If I can stream the video fast enough between a drone’s camera that is located in an amazing beach in Jamaica to my laptop and fly it remotely – I can get the exact same feeling as if I were on that beach flying my own drone! 

What has the process of development been like?

The development process has been focused around creating the most immersive experience possible. We’ve worked hard at making sure the video feed is high quality and the controls feel natural and responsive, with virtually no lag between the user input and the response. We also wanted to ensure it was simple. The controls are just like you would use on a regular drone and it’s very easy to fly whether you have experience flying drones or not. We’ve also just rolled out support for mobile devices which provides a fantastic experience with touch control. The most important thing we’ve worked on is safety – creating an experience that is safe for everyone.

What safeguards are in place to protect the remote pilot? To keep people and property safe on location? Does the remote pilot need insurance?

First and foremost there is always a co pilot that is the responsible pilot in command of the flight, and he can take back the control if necessary. The co pilot needs to comply with local regulations and won’t let you do anything that will disturb their surrounding. In addition, we added some automatic safety mechanisms that limit the drone’s altitude according to the flight location. The whole experience is very safe and easy to use! Your co pilot can also teach you how to fly the drone and improve your skill if you want to. What’s more they know the area really well and would gladly point you to the best places to explore and the best views to capture your photos. You can take as many photos as you like during the flight which are made available to you straight after your flight has finished for free. 

What locations are currently available for flights? What others will be added soon?

We currently have 12 different sites in Bali, Thailand, Argentina and Mexico, and we’re adding more locations in Brazil, Peru and the Philippines very soon!

Anything else you would like to add?

The world is too beautiful to miss out. Everyone should experience its beauty firsthand and FlyThere lets you do just that. 

How can someone get started?

Just head to FlyThere.com. We currently offer standby flights for free whilst we’re in beta. You can also skip the line and reserve a flight in one of our select sites at a convenient time for just $4.99.