RC Helicam is the leading provider of aerial footage in open water swimming market. And Andrew Martens of RC Helicam continues to push the envelope of how an open water swimming event can be effectively and inexpensively showcased.

Over time, if our crystal ball of the sport is right, what RC Helicam started, others will follow and bring related technologies to the market.

One possibility is the Black Hornet Nano (shown above), a finger-size drone made by Norwegian company Prox Dynamics. Another possibility is the Nano Hummingbird, a battery-powered drone developed by AeroVironment.

The drones, armed with a video camera a la RC Helicam’s product, are part of the emerging mini spy aircraft industry utilized by militaries from the Middle East to Afghanistan. The drones are typically only sold to government institutions and military branches as an undercover means to stealthily capture audio and visual images in a variety of battlefield and urban settings.

But as the technology develops and governments allow for commercial distribution, it is only a matter of time before these audio- and visual-capturing drones can fly over an open water swimming event or even a solo channel swimmer to relay images and sounds over social networks and websites.

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