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
Having a hard time seeing what the outrage is about. The guys even lit the candles themselves and a snow covered river is a pretty fire-retardant environment.
In my carefree youth, I used to launch gliders with firework rockets as propulsion. When it worked, the loops were spectacular. Does that have to be investigated now as well?
What about the hydrogen balloons that David W. of RCExplorer.se shot at using his tri-copter? I thought everyone loved that video 4+ year back... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozHoP_YThRI
They freak out because well if you think of it drones potentially make a great platform for delivering explosives or incediaries. Though by overreacting to this they bring too much attention to it IMHO which might have a streisand effect
If there was no drone involved, and this was just a bunch of bro's on a frozen lake having fun with legal fireworks, would anyone care? I fail to see how the drone made it any more dangerous.
On Jackass they had twin paintball markers on an rc heli shooting up their guys who were on a slippery mat covered in oil, it was funny as. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQtqdks_pYA
Smart technology + stupid People = bad recipe for disaster
Yep extreme dangerous use fireworks tools.
Term trasport may use w real transport. But if we use "transport" law for toy and another "aircraft vechicles" like this we find not only dangerous act in such funny joke video, but terrorizm, extremism, violence, death threats and similar ugly horror actions.
Yeah, I'm on the fence about this one. It is really stupid, and makes us all look bad. But "don't they have anything better to do"? Maybe knock out a couple more SFOC's instead of spending time on this?
I'd think this deserves a visit and stern talking-to from the local OPP detachment. Not any time spent by TC officials. Given the relatively remote location, and lack of unintended victims in the area, I just don't see this as a huge deal.
Give them a couple $100 fine, make sure that fine is made public so it serves as a lesson, and move on.
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