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Another item is that the drones are very cheap to operate for long periods. Where a helicopter needs re-fueling and maintenance after x number of hours of flig

• _djo_ 14y ago
  The maintenance needs of drones are the same or higher than comparable manned aircraft, so they're subject to the same restrictions. What they have is long endurance, which is really measured in hours not days for the size of drones that police want to operate, but then that's little different to the endurance of police fixed-wing aircraft. In fact, in most cases drones are actually more expensive to buy and operate than fixed-wing surveillance aircraft, because their control systems are more sophisticated and require more maintenance, they need expensive ground stations which themselves require constant maintenance, they need dedicated comms links which also need maintenance and they can't fly in bad weather. In the short to medium term I fully expect the police fascination with drones to recede dramatically once they realise just how expensive they really are. Sticking a pilot and observer in a helicopter or fixed-wing plane with an electro-optical turret is often a lot cheaper.