"Watching Saturday’s events unfold, Jones said he knew the job must have cost City Light “quite a bit of money” because there were eight line workers and a fleet of trucks and service vehicles. But when he asked workers what it was costing, he didn’t expect $35,000.
“That is a staggering sum of money — all for the benefit of the liberty to fly some toy around in an environment where it doesn’t belong,” he said."
Full story by the Seattle Times here.
Comments
One of the things that is interesting is that the drone that did this is obviously a $3000.00 DJI Inspire.
You'd really think that anybody investing that much would have a lot better idea of what they should and shouldn't do.
That said however there are now many tens (probably hundreds) of thousands of assorted multicopters out there, and most of the people who own them are completely clueless.
This is clearly a Juggernaut that is going to have ongoing consequences.
I don't know if we can actually do anything effective, but it would certainly be to our own and everyone else's benefit if we became more visible in proactively promoting safety, common sense and "rule" following.
As long as we just sit around here talking about it, the fate of our hobby / passion lies firmly in the hands of those who would ban it outright.
Best regards,
Gary
While this is clearly another case of a "drone" operator not doing what they are supposed to do. It's things like this...
“It could have been someone engaged in peeping-Tom activities,” he said of whoever was operating the drone. “But, it became a safety concern.”
in the news article that just make me shake my head. at 120 feet there is no way you could be engaged in "peeping tom activities" with the non zoom camera on board. Plus it's clearly beautiful scenery. The person was completely stupid for flying there, but, does the media have to fuel fears of peeping toms to ignorant masses of what the intention and capabilities of these "drones" are?
Yep... more restrictions coming
NY-bound passenger jet reports near-miss with drone
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/05/29/ny-bound-pilot-swerves-to-avoi...
I go to that lake all the time and have fantasies of flying my drone all around it but never would because the danger it imposes and the trouble I can get into. The federal coast guard controls that waterway because it's accessible to ocean craft.
Of course it's a violation of FAA Regulations.... Lake Union is a float plane airport and planes take off and land constantly. I'm sure once they load the video from the drone they'll see where it came from. Here's another video someone took over the same lake that is a float plane airport....
Events like this only further the creation of restrictive local/state ordinances by government entities in relation to sUAS operation.
Regards,
TCIII AVD
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