When it comes to high-tech equipment, things are looking up in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. Or, rather, looking down.

The township has purchased a drone.

The DJI Phantom 3 was bought last spring for $1,400 and is at work videoing and taking pictures of the township from as high as 400 feet (it can go up to 1,700 feet but federal regulations impose limits).

Public Works Director Michael Touw, keeper of the drone, said the hubcap-sized flying machine has already earned its keep by photographing drainage problems and recording township events.

Last spring it was used to take pictures of Wiltse Creek in response to flooding complaints. The aerial photographs showed the creek was running clear, with no blockages.

Touw said the flying camera will be useful in other drainage issues, allowing the township to spot beaver dams and see areas that would take too long to reach on foot.

The drone has also been used at such township events as the recent fire department training in Seeley’s Bay and to take promotional photos at an event at Haskins Point. The drone has also recorded the installation of solar panels on the roof of the township building.

Touw said the drone could be used to survey township-owned property, in planning applications and to help the fire department to determine the size of grass fires or in the search for missing persons.

And while the drone could be used to spy on township residents who illegally improve their property without permits, Touw said that is definitely not the plan because of privacy concerns. He said the drone is limited to surveying municipally owned property.

The drone, which is carried in a case the size of a carry-on bag, resembles a miniature Star Wars ship. It is operated by a hand-held controller that can be linked to a smart phone or a tablet. The smart phone screen allows the operator to see what the drone sees, in real time, and to take still pictures.

It has a GPS that tracks the drone’s location and the machine can stay in the air for 25 minutes. When the battery is low, the drone will start back to home base on its own.

wayne.lowrie@sunmedia.ca