Transport Canada and the RCMP are investigating videos posted on YouTube showing an “unmanned air vehicle” flying near Vancouver International Airport and over Vancouver Harbour, the site of commercial float-plane operations.
Transport Canada spokesman Rod Nelson said Tuesday the federal department is “very concerned about the operations of this UAV and we have been working with the RMCP to determine the operator’s identity.”
More of the story published by The Vancouver Sun can be read here.
Comments
Andrew - Technically, I think what you say is absolutely correct. I did notice the use of language in the brochure and the fact that the only thing listed specifically as illegal' is commercial flight. With that said, I was worried that your suggestion that flying within 500m of an international airport is perfectly legal warranted qualification.
I also agree that the ambiguity between what is inadvisable and unlawful is not helping matters. I actually live just 2.5km from Westmead Hospital's Helipad and the Rosehill Heliport and am not sure whether I should be flying in my backyard or my local parklands anymore I haven't flown at home since reading the CASA brochure, but I haven't been leaving the suburb to fly either (meaning that I am still flying mostly within 5.5km of the Rosehill Helipad, but further away from Westmead Hospital).
Sorry Quadzi, but a safety publicity brochure, even if the information might make good sense, is not even close to a legally binding document. Note that it says "You should not fly within 5.5km of an airfield". Should not does not equal must not or may not. There is no legal instrument (that I have seen) that CASA could use to enforce this "advice". Indeed, KDMAS is only 4.3km from the Tullamarine Airport runway reference point and there's much flying activity there!
It's not good or legal sense to give regulators regulatory powers for free over and above that which they are legally bound by because such a position would cut both ways and demolish the rule of law very quickly.
Andrew - This would not have been perfectly legal in Australia. Please see this post which was publishing on this very site by CASA's Safety Promotion Branch just a few weeks ago. Note the Important Safety Information booklet which clearly states that we must not fly within 5.5km of an airport.
Gary, dare I say it again, but if this were in Australia and the aircraft was operated under 400' AGL, it would be perfectly legal, or at least it would be difficult for CASA to demonstrate that it contravened the CASRs
@ William Vergonet are you serious? Controlled airspace would extend to the surface that close to a major airport.
Idiot's possible location at park.
I have a NAZA flight system and like it. I also have a X8 "Ready to fly" Before I bought the X8 I had a real firm knowledge of different systems and had built other planes and copters. Pedals is correct in his comment. Just a lot of folks have little respect for what is going on here in the new world of UAVs and they need to before something real bad happens.
Totally agree john, thanks for the encouragement, trouble is these days so many people want to pay me for what i can do I'm starting to make a living out of it and finding less time to help out around here!
I promise as soon as it's done and working without issue, I will indeed do a blog post! As well as get back on the beta testing ;)
How close was the UAV to the airspace? Seems as the video zooms in on the aircraft landing and then zooms out. This could deff not have been in a trouble area but as far as altitude, now there is def an issue there. at least in the usa our ceiling is 400ft.
@Dave C: You have my interest, and I can imagine there are others who would like to know more about how to use the 18-55mm zoom on the NEX-5. Maybe on a separate blog post so the thread is easier to find? Just a thought.
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