It sounds like a giant mosquito and it looks like a one-eyed wasp, with its camera lens staring at you, but it's just a friendly drone.

And that's how Chris Griggs wants the drones he sells at Drones Plus in Beaverton to be known, but he knows not every customer will abide.

"The positive is far greater than the potential for bad," he said. "We ask (customers) to respect the rights of others."

In the six weeks since Drones Plus opened at Beaverton Town Square, Griggs said he has had 2,500 customers. He has sold at least 15 of the most expensive consumer models at $3,000 each and even more of the cute little drones for kids, which range from $29 to $79. Some have cameras and some don't.

While drones can be found at some big box electronics stores or hobby shops, Drones Plus is the first in the area to specialize in the electronic birds. Customers can try out the drones in the Flight Cage and Drones Plus offers repair services as well, Griggs said.

Many people stop by the store out of curiosity and Griggs said they're surprised to learn about the potential uses for drones. Real estate agents can use them to give a virtual tour of a home, inside and out. Appraisers can see aerials of homes; ranchers can check out their cattle from afar, farmers can assess their crops. The use of drones in search and rescue is still being developed, but drones were used to help find survivors from the Nepal earthquake, Griggs said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is still working out the rules for non-commercial drones, but they are restricted from going above 400 feet and can't be flown near airports, Griggs said.

The drones he sells either don't have the ability to reach 400 feet or have a sensor that automatically returns them home if the human controller tries to push the drone past the 400-foot level, he said.

Griggs' said his drones are nothing like those used by the military for "drone strikes." Military drones look more like small airplanes, can fly great distances and carry a large payload.

Drones Plus drones have four propellers mounted on the top of the body that lift the birds and allow them to hover or move in any direction. The largest can carry 20 pounds, but most can carry only a small camera. Griggs said they're much easier to fly than radio controlled airplanes or helicopters.

The smallest drone is the size of a car key and can stay airborne for about five minutes before the battery expires. It has no camera. The next size up could fit in a shoebox and comes with a camera for video and photos and has a range of about 200 feet. The controller can watch what the drone sees on a video screen.

For $750, there's a drone with a camera that will follow its owner for those wanting to capture a moment in time or maybe athletic training, Griggs said. It does not, however, detect trees or power lines and could hit them.

The Phantom line extends the range and battery life and the owner can plot in GPS and coordinates from Google Maps. The Phantom III can fly a mile, automatically take off and land and travels 35 miles per hour. The drones can be controlled with a smart phone or a video game type of controller. It costs $1,259.

Griggs pointed to the window display. "This is the Ferrari."

The Inspire is $3,000 and has a range of 1.5 miles, can travel 60 miles per hour and has 360-degree camera footage capability.

Drones Plus will also customize a drone, which can range from $10,000 to $20,000. He said staff from the television show "Grimm" stopped by to look at a model.

Griggs said it would be difficult to spy on someone because the drones are loud and the lenses are wide angle, so it would have to be close to the subject. But, he acknowledged, it would be unnerving to see a drone hovering over your backyard.

Drones Plus opens in Beaverton 8 Gallery: Drones Plus opens in Beaverton

-- Wendy Owen

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