Rise of the drones: NOVA filmmaker Peter Yost on the ever-evolving technology behind drones

The evolution and power behind drones are not only changing how the United States fights wars abroad, but also they are advancing the way the drones are increasingly being used as a surveillance tool here in America. On Wednesday, PBS will debut a special by filmmaker Peter Yost called "Nova: Rise of the Drones." This morning Yost joins “Starting Point” to provide more insight into the drone engineers, pilots, military bases and the stunning advances in unmanned aerial technologies.

Yost, a multiple Emmy-nominated filmmaker, says the U.S. has been using drones in different capacities for many decades. In his film, Yost says he includes rare and amazing footage from as early as World War II where pilots “were flying via remote control from one plane to another and...would sometimes bail out with parachutes.” Here in the U.S., Yost says the use of domestic drones “is playing out as we speak.”

Yost says the technology is “accessible to anyone right now” and the pieces can be purchased at a department store. He adds that after mounting a camera, anyone could then stream the footage back to their iPhone. Yost says FAA regulation is underway for those who want to use drone technology for commercial purposes and should be in place for the near future.