The pilot of the Phantom that crashed on a Manhattan street earlier this month has been arrested, ABC reports:
David Zablidowsky of Brooklyn has been charged with "Reckless Endangerment" for allegedly losing control of a helicopter drone at "an unreasonable height creating a substantial risk of serious physical injury".
Comments
People join the police force because they whanna be bullies. People buy a multirotor because they whanna have fun and take pictures.
This is a generalisation but you shouldn't think to highly of the cops. Cops are like guard dogs and don't tend to recriminate too well. I have a coup of friends in the force and from time to time they try the act. We get on really well but they do like to bully.
If the rules are clear, issues are easier for them and us. Sometimes them are us, so yes some straight forward rules would help. There are rules for this stuff but they aren't clear or simple and they're not usually outlined to police. Maybe AMA could get something rolling on this because it going to get really busy.
Cheers.
Wonderful, another case of reckless endangerment and more evidence for the FAA - you Americans don't know how to keep a low profile - do you. Read my thoughts!!
@Justin:
What you put across in the video, looks cool and I appreciate your flying skills.
But I have a few questions for you:
1) Did you design the complete algorithm of the copter and/or do you understand the 'internal workings' of the machine that you are trying to fly (I guess not, as you are flying DJI). Even commercial helicopters pilots who may be having more experience than you, make mistakes.
2) It is good that you are a confident flyer. I have been flying for years now and have had crashes due to copter going to some 'unknown' state (rare, but (can) happen).
FAA worries that software is 'not yet' 100% safe to have made copter's autonomous!!
So only, If that copter fell (for whatsoever reason) to one of those roads, what would have happened is nothing but:
- Causing havoc on the road. Killing someone instantly due to accident with fast moving cars and you ending up in jail for multiple years even when there was no accident!
- You endangering the hobby community.
IMHO, I am just stating the facts, before you, others or we go down the roads of troubles by doing 'cool' stunts.
Endangering can be done by anything as you rightly pointed out, but if you sit down and calmly reflect on what I just said probably you may get my (0.1% probability) point :)
If you still wanna do these stunts, you are most welcome to, but posting videos would just satisfy your ego and tend to make a fool of yourself in this community after the 'Manhattan' incident.
No offense meant!!
Justin, if you lose control for any reason and your Phantom falling on the windscreen of a car traveling on the road, do you think it can not happen anything? You can kill people!
Bad way to fly, you don't have to do these things imho.
Outreach, advocacy, education, support, and a bit of self-policing will go a long way. I think throwing up your hands an saying the equivalent of, "there goes the neighborhood," because people with no experience can cheaply and easily get into the hobby is the wrong approach. Reaching out and saying, hey, welcome, here's some tips, ideas, thoughts on safety, etc. is perhaps a better path moving forward.
Is there a DJI Phantom outreach? No kidding.
There are laws which deal with people's actions which are otherwise unregulated. For example, reckless endangerment. Also, there is insurance to deal with the damages. If flying your DJI Phantom over a street was not covered by your insurance, then there are civil courts to work out the details on how monetary wrongs are righted. Finally, like it or not, there are warnings and other legalese which allow businesses to duck some level of responsibility. I recently bought a small live feed video camera from a local company with spy in their name. The camera packaging had the word spy on it. When I signed my receipt, in no unclear wording it said, "These products are not intended for illegal surveillance. Please follow the law, and respect privacy." I didn't look, but I am sure the camera info had some similar disclaimer somewhere.
It's a real tough one and I can only see well publicised punishments as the option to deter the nutters!
Back in the 60s there was a movement to ban skateboards. I think its a case of its new so us old farts need to stop it because "we don't like change or new things". Come to think of it, didn't they try to stop mobile phones in schools a decade or 2 ago?
The FAA love the power, so they would like to control tennis balls, if they could. One day when they're everywhere, no-one will care. You can't be part of something new and avoid this problem.
@Doc
This remind me an old process with a driver of a RV recreative vehicle who did go back in his RV (while on the road...) to prepare his coffee (and crashed...) and in the end he did win the trial process with RV company because in the RV user manual was not mentioned he can not quit the driver place...
So, in brief, what was the final verdict for the 'reckless flight' ;) ??
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