Who are we?

We are Gannet. We design, manufacture and distribute professional release systems, accessories and now drones, around the world.

Visit our site www.dronefishing.com to learn more.

How do I get a Gannet Pro Drone? 

To preorder our Gannet Pro Drone, SELECT the PERK you would like to receive.

Please do not mistake our Flexible Goal as the price of a drone.

We will start shipping out perks in December 2019. 

Our design goals:

✅ Fully waterproof drones that can fly even in heavy rain

✅ Powerful with payloads up to 3,5kg

✅ High-efficiency rate with aerodynamics designed to be able to fly in high winds for longer

✅ Reliable with a trusted GPS flight controller

✅ Water and sand proof remote so that it can be used on the beach without worrying that sand will jam the remote sticks

✅ LCD display for drone telemetry, battery and GPS status, use with or without a smartphone, (optional) Full HD (1080p) live video from the gimbaled camera so that it can be used as an effective search and rescue drone with clear live HD video

✅ Multiple auxiliary attachment points for the addition of 4k action/360 cameras and spotlights

✅ Fully sealed electronics, preventing corrosion of electronics, despite needing uninhibited barometric pressure sensing 

✅ Failsafe electro-mechanical payload release that can be mechanically or electrically activated

✅ Expandable with the option to add external long-endurance batteries and custom payload bays

✅ Bright onboard lights for easy night navigation

We took on the challenge to create something which met all of the above goals to create a truly unique and market-leading product.

The Gannet team can say it has achieved its goals in the new Gannet Pro and Pro+ Drones!

Unique barometric pressure control:

Drones, especially waterproof flying drones have a unique challenge in the sense that they use
barometric pressure to control their altitude/hight. To this end, they must breathe and displace
roughly as much as 20% of their internal air volume during each flight. As the electronic
components and battery heat up the internal air expands in volume and the excess volume
needs to be pushed out of the drone’s sealed shell.

All other existing “waterproof” drones make use of a breathable cloth/paper-like membrane
through which the air is expelled. This membrane method is used as there is no current
mechanical means (valve) that allows bidirectional free airflow but seals water flow off and
reopens as soon as there is no water present.

Once the drone starts to cool down, say when it starts to rain or when it lands in the water, or
even just at the end of each flight, the air cools down and contracts and at this point new air is
drawn into the drone by the vacuum formed from the contracting air and components, the
same happens each time the drone descends, the external barometric pressure goes up and air
is forced in. If the membrane is wet at this stage it becomes a barrier to free air movement but
despite this barrier, the vacuum will still draw water and or water vapour into the drone and
electronics compartment causing long term damage. This wet membrane is a significant
barrier to free airflow that retards the heating/expanding air from escaping the drone freely
causing the internal pressure to rise which in return gives false readings to the flight controller
resulting in the drone’s unintended and undesirable gain in altitude.

To address this unique challenge each Gannet is fitted with a flexible internal flight bladder.
The concept is incredibly simple, and very similar in nature to a fishes swim bladder, a short
a tube is connected to a strategically placed and shielded opening to the exterior of the drone,
this tube is then connected to the flight bladder, which at rest has approximately 20% of the
drones internal volume in it. As the drone heats up the air expands, this pushes on the outside
of the bladder and forces the air in the bladder out through the opening decreasing the
bladder size.

Any air that is drawn back in when the drone cools down or changes altitude
simply fills the bladder through the tube and can never reach the electronics. It does not
matter what moisture content is in the ”air” as all that matters to the drone is displaced
volume, which function the flight bladder fulfills effortlessly. Should water be drawn in at this
stage it would simply run out at a later stage and be replaced with air once out of the water.
This unique and patent-pending design ensures that the electronics will never see the external
environment, be it humid air, rain, snow, salt spray or ocean water. The electronics stay dry at
all times and with perfectly balanced barometric pressure this ensures stable flight without
uncontrollable altitude gain as is the case with all other “waterproof” drones.

Compact yet powerful.

The smaller Gannet Pro is rated to lift and fly with loads up to 2kg (4.4lbs) and the larger Gannet
Pro+ up to 3.5kg (7.7lbs) payload.

These bigger loads draw heavy on the drone’s battery and limit flight time to a great extent but
even so the Pro+ can fly a lifesaving tow line out to a person in trouble several hundred
meters from shore. For the land-based fisherman in New Zealand, it can take out a kontiki
line for as far as the eye can see.

Fail-safe release: 

Many drones are used for fishing and one of the biggest drone sinkers is when the line gets
snagged or when a seagull or pelican hits the line whilst the drone is on its way out with the
line. Solving this problem was easy, this was done by fitting each Gannet Done with the patented Gannet XSport dual electromechanical release. What this does is give the user the ability to set the release to auto-release on a given setting. So if 1kg is flown the user may set the release to 1,5kg so as soon as a bird hits the line it simply unclips saving the drone, and if a precession drop is required simply press the button on the remote and the electrical side releases the load on command.

This release is not exclusively for fishing as it can also be used when flying out a lifeline/ lifevest to a person in distress. The drone can lower the strap to him and when he tugs on the line it will
unclip. Or one can even pull them to shore with the drone itself knowing that the drone is safe
and will free itself if the load gets too much.

Gannet has been making drone release systems since 2016 for all major drone makes so it
only makes sense that the best possible release would be fitted to the Gannet Pro.
The Gannet XSport has several granted and also pending multinational patents making them
the worlds only failsafe electro-mechanical release systems.

Gannet Pro Spec Sheet

Design shape and appearance:

The Gannet Pro drones have been designed as short-distance delivery drones, unlike most other
drones that are symmetrical camera platforms, with a camera hanging from the bottom and
able to fly at near identical speeds in any direction, the Gannets are streamlined to fly forward
significantly faster and with less power usage than most camera platform drones.

As a result, Gannet Drones are unmistakably recognizable and very unique in shape. This came
about as a result of placing the gimbal and GPS far upfront in the head with sweeping
aerodynamic arms. Resembling a skydiver or perhaps even a flying penguin. When hovering
in place the elongated body is slanting backwards this so that when the body is horizontal the
drone is already travelling forward at speed. This results in the smallest possible frontal area
cutting through the air conserving battery power as much as possible.
The keen eye will notice that nothing is straight on these drones, not one of the motors line
up, the slanting body and curved asymmetric arms all contribute in making these some of the
most power-efficient drones to be brought to market.

Colour scheme:

In the natural world, animals have adopted colours that blend into their environments, be they
hunters or prey. The Great White, killer whales, penguins and even some seagulls are all light
below and dark on top. This to help blend in when viewed directly from above or from below
in their 3-dimensional worlds.
However, the two contrasting colours actually increase visibly when viewed from the side and
this is why our Gannets are black and white. They stand out in any weather conditions at very
long distances, making the visual line of sight flight to long distances more enjoyable.
Alongside with the colour scheme comes the asymmetric shape making it easy to see which
the way the drone is facing.

Battery compartment:

The one thing that needs to be changed/charged in the field on a regular basis is the Lithium
Polymer battery. For this, we placed the battery in its own waterproof compartment opening at
the back of the drone.

To ensure ease of installation we created an easily accessible compartment in the back of the drone, sealed off from all internals. In the event that some sand compromises the seal only that compartment would seep with water and only the battery is exposed and not the expensive electronic internals.

The Gannet's double waterproof compartment design is unique to the Gannet Drone which makes them the safest waterproof drones on the market.

Flight control:

When looking for a reliable tried and tested flight control system we settled on one from the
market leader in drone tech, DJI Naza mV2. As the market leader, we are confident that each
Gannet drone has the best possible GPS and flight control system ensuring trouble-free
operation.

HD video:

An optional internal 2 axis gimbaled camera (see Gannet Pro Camera System Perk) provides live HD video to the connected Gannet App on a smartphone or tablet with both map and video display.

The camera is not intended for professional videographers or photographers as it is 2k
(1080p) in resolution.

Its intended use is for clear live view to aid in SAR missions or for spotting fish when fishing. However, if 4K video is desired additional cameras can easily be fitted to several of the auxiliary mounting points.

Remote controller:

 

The remote control, like the drone, is focused on function. Splashproof, rainproof and sand-proof make it ideal for use on the beach or boat in any weather, even snow is no problem at all.
The control sticks and switches are sealed off with rubber bellows making sure that sand
and dirt can’t jam them up, as is so often experienced with standard controllers.
With a built-in LCD display providing the operator with everything they need such as the drone’s vital telemetry, distance, hight, drone battery and GPS satellites. With this, the Gannet can be flown without connecting a smartphone or tablet.
Connecting a smart device through the Gannet app to the drone provides a high definition
display for video feedback and realtime map location. This also then stores the flight logs and
history in the App.

Battery charging

With the main market for Gannet drones being people that will be away from their home base, all Gannets come with a battery charger that can recharge the battery in about 1hour from a
12V DC battery or 110V-240V AC power outlet making field charging easy and convenient.

Spare batteries, spares and parts

DHL is our courier partner of choice, they are able to ship our drones almost anywhere in the world in 3-5 working days. Unfortunately they are unable to ship spare/extra batteries with the drones.

After the campaign finishes, we will be offering special battery shipping options directly from our factory at great prices (not with DHL). 

When we send out the final shipping confirmation email, you will be able to order any spares and accessories (that are not batteries) and ship them together with your Gannet Pro Drone order. 

We are also in discussions with various service centers and distributors in USA, Australia, UK, New Zealand and South Africa meaning you will be able to buy Gannet batteries, accessories and spares locally without worrying about shipping.

Why Indiegogo?

Being our first-time crowdfunding we looked to Indiegogo as the platform for us. Since the start of 2016, our business has established a great network of clients and customers. Having successfully shipped over 7000 payload release systems we believe we are at a point that we can now seek crowdfunding with a proven track record.

The funds we hope to generate from this campaign will allow us to continue developing our product offering without seeking private funding. With bulk upfront orders, we are able to negotiate lower manufacturing parts and shipping costs due to economies of scale. This allows us to focus on what we love doing, sharing our passion orientated products powered by the best customers we could ever dream of.

With your feedback and using this platform, our journey will take the next step forward to creating a household drone brand. Join us on our journey!

Risks and Challenges

Our journey over the last few years has allowed us to turn our passion for drones and fishing into an established business. Throughout our journey, our focus has been developing great products backed up by a passionate team whose major focus is customer service.

Developing products like this takes time, money and a lot of effort. Being fully self-funded thus far we have managed to develop our designs, software, and components to a point we are now in a position for final production.

We have been through multiple prototypes and have already started making the required molds. This means that we are months ahead almost ready to start producing the Gannet Pro Drones, we need your help to get the best pricing possible bring our Drones to life!

Crowdfunding will allow us to get upfront bulk orders, allowing us to negotiate part and shipping prices with our suppliers, thus allowing us to pass this saving on and share it with our Gannet family. 

Our Journey

Patent Applications

We have spent years and thousands of dollars developing our products. 

In order to protect our designs and concepts we have filed for the following full & or design patents:

Patent Pending:

A2019/00106

A2019/00107

A2019/00219

A2018/01876

A2018/01875

A2018/01877

A2018/01878

For absolute peace of mind

We guarantee all of our products and our reviews stand testament to this. All units will be hand-assembled and pressure tested in order to pass our rigorous quality control measures.

Shipping, Customs & Duties

International distribution is something we have learned to overcome with great shipping partners. 

International freight does come with its own set of challenges. As a business who has acquired all of the necessary permissions and licensing we abide by all laws and legislation.  With this in mind, we cannot mark any item as a 'gift' or as other items. It is illegal to do so.

Please note import duties and taxes are NOT INCLUDED. These charges vary by country and are not in our control.

We ship our drones all over the world and it is impossible for us to build the various customs charges into our website.

You can use this tool to estimate additional costs.

http://www.importcalculator.com

Remember, we are the creators of Gannet Pro Drones and not international customs, we make no money off local taxes and duties. 

You can use this tool as estimates when determining additional costs in receiving our products.

Team

They say Teamwork makes the Dreamwork.

Our team makes the Gannet dream possible.

We pride ourselves on our customer service, innovation and truly stand behind the products we take to the market. 

Other Ways You Can Help

Gannet has established itself as the market leader in drone fishing over the last 4 years.  

Please share our content and engage with us - it helps us continue to grow!

We would love to hear from you and see your awesome Gannet Drone fishing catches in the near future.  

TIGHT LINES - GANNET TEAM