Transport Canada will investigate the use of a Quadcopter for shooting fireworks. It is again people giving unmanned vehicles a bad reputation. Shooting fireworks on someone is plain stupid, I think we can agree. However, should Transport Canada be handling this case? What if they were shooting from a radio-contolled boat or car? The danger is from the fireworks, no the use of the quadcopter. Here is the report from CBC:
Transport Canada is investigating a popular online video that shows two shirtless men running on a frozen Ottawa River as a drone, mounted with Roman candles, fires exploding shells at them.
Andy Stewart, who controlled the drone in the video from the shore of a bay in west rural Ottawa, told CBC News he attached a camera to the drone so that he could record his brother and friend trying to dodge the sparks.
"We weren't doing anything to hurt anybody, just fooling around," he said. "It's hilarious how many views it's gotten."
Since it was uploaded to YouTube on March 5, it has been viewed more than one million times.
His friend, Matt Trueman, is seen lighting the Roman candles on the drone before running onto the snow-covered bay. At one point, his brother Jason Stewart is hit in the back.
"Do not try this at home," the video warns.
"We're just having fun," Stewart said. "We're not trying to hurt anybody — besides the odd, little burn. Nothing too crazy."
'Extremely dangerous' to carry fireworks on drone: Transport Canada
Transport Canada told CBC News in an email that it is "extremely dangerous" for an unmanned aerial vehicle to carry pyrotechnics or explosives.
Andy Stewart says he was 'fooling around' when he made a video of a drone, mounted with Roman candles, firing at his friends. (CBC)
"In addition, Transport Canada's safety guidelines for recreational users stipulate they should stay at least nine kilometres away from aerodrome, such as the Constance Lake water aerodrome, and from built-up areas, including homes and cottages," Transport Canada said in a statement.
Stewart said he likes making extreme videos but never imagine it would catch the attention of Transport Canada.
"We'll see what happens (with the investigation) and take it from there," he said. "We're still going to make tons of fun videos... [we] just might not be attaching fireworks to them if it is something that you're not allowed to do."
Comments
They where flying a quad and shooting roman candles at themselves so what, they are having fun and not hurting anyone else
@ Jason Short..... If they fireworks are on a drone that is flying in the air there's a LOT more than can go wrong. and it's a more powerful WEAPON....hence why we use drones in war. So what if he lost control of the weaponized drone and it flew off anywhere shooting fireworks...no one knows who they would hit of where they would cause a fire. So there is a huge difference between some guys shooting off fireworks on a lake and some jackasses weaponizing their drones.
Drones will be regulated - it's only a matter of time.
Well, if they are going to do it............they did it pretty much as safe as you could expect.
Even took off most their combustible cloths.
TC has no business in this.........Frankly, I am tired of this ridiculous "what if" scenario of rule making by a bunch of policy makers that dream all day.
Cheers, Steve
I really find this video FUN. It is about two guys celebratng a birthday party whith fireworks in a very safe environment and context: absolutely no risks of setting fire to anything nor harming any third parties. The drone use is anecdotal; fireworks are fireworks. What scares me here is this disproprotionate moral reaction of certain authorities. Someone said that when all sense of humour is gone, a moral Orwell's dictatorship sets in...
Would someone care to explain what part of this was dangerous for anyone else than themselves? However stupid someone might think this is, I honestly can't see how it is any of their business.
Not when we have guys like this Damian .... hahahahaha
(Quote from Rob Levebre, Director).
Agreed, it does make the Drone community look bad, and they probably should have been using the technology in a more useful way. But it does make people warm up to Drones, sense these men actually played with the Drones and had fun.
Chris Ellis, the World is really to serious to laugh, that is reality.
Best regards
D M Earl ll
The sky is falling..
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