More news coverage, not positive

[mciupagea]

Posted by one of my lifeflight pilot friends. Looks like this is becoming more and more frequent

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/n...-And-Helicopter-Rattles-Pilots-267400371.html

 

[DKDarkness]

Posted by one of my lifeflight pilot friends. Looks like this is becoming more and more frequent

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/n...-And-Helicopter-Rattles-Pilots-267400371.html

I think the FAA needs to get moving fast. I'm guessing the drone was below 400ft to document the run. And I'm guessing the helicopter was also below 400ft to get the best possible shots of the run? When that happens, you need to contact local air traffic control to inform them that you as a pilot are taking your craft below the deck, and have it approved. There is however no way for the local air traffic control to relay to UAV pilots that such a permission is given, and to stay out of the areal in the time interval given to the full sized aircraft to go below 400ft limit?

In Denmark you can't fly anywhere near (150m) roads, houses, crowds etc, or beyond 300ft attitude, so that will never be an issue...

 

[seminole360]

Seems like a pretty fair report except for the mention of the woman beating the crap out of that kid, which seemed totally irrelevant to this story. The UAV operator did the right thing by proactively reaching out to the FAA to report the encounter. No laws were broken and no harm done - this time.

 

[mciupagea]

the only thing that saved this potentially deathly situation was that the UAV operator was also a commercial airline pilot (per article). What would have happened if the operator had no idea of laws/rules and couldnt think of what to do in such a situation?

 

[Electric Warrior]

More media sensionalist hysteria! Bring in some irrelevant article to spice up their story. Wankers!

 

[GMANNZ]

So remove the multi from the sky for a second ............ So if it was an "un-illuminated" bird like a large seagull or albatross that struck his tail rotor, he would have crashed into 2,000 people ...... ??? ....... the danger was in sky well before the multi even took off !!! :roll:

 

[ianwood]

So remove the multi from the sky for a second ............ So if it was an "un-illuminated" bird like a large seagull or albatross that struck his tail rotor, he would have crashed into 2,000 people ...... ??? ....... the danger was in sky well before the multi even took off !!! :roll:

Exactly. My vote is more multi-rotors, less helicopters. Using a helicopter to film anything at close range seems downright stupid and antiquated.

 

[Elfman12]

So the heli was flying DIRECTLY ABOVE PEOPLE? I thought that was a no-no? -grin- I also note that in many of these cases, it's the heli that purses the multi-rotor, not the other way around, and THEN claiming to be worried about a collision. ("Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!") In this one he obviously did that, given the shot of it landing in the operator's driveway.
There needs to be more awareness by heli pilots, flying that low, that there may be other model craft in the air. That seems like a given in this day and age.

All that being said, I DO understand that heli pilots have THEMSELVES in the air, not just about $1,500 worth of hobby equipment. I will ALWAYS immediately yield the sky the second I SEE or HEAR a full-sized craft approach, as I think most multi-rotor pilots would. Those who don't can and should be fined/prosecuted equal to the level of their infraction. Because what is the alternative? No hobby craft in the sky because a heli MIGHT decide to fly that day? That's no way to police the airspace. /rant off

 

[Paul K]

The full size media type aircrafts and helicopter operators will be trying more and more to report a incidents between them and UAV's first because of safety ,secondly because UAV is potential competition and eventually might cripple there business or put them out of busyness.Only way how to reduce this incidents ,is to respect safety guidelines set by FAA and use common sense wile flying your UAV.

 

[damoncooper]

So remove the multi from the sky for a second ............ So if it was an "un-illuminated" bird like a large seagull or albatross that struck his tail rotor, he would have crashed into 2,000 people ...... ??? ....... the danger was in sky well before the multi even took off !!! :roll:

Exactly. My vote is more multi-rotors, less helicopters. Using a helicopter to film anything at close range seems downright stupid and antiquated.

+1

 

[CRankin]

It sounds to me like the helicopter pilot was in the wrong on this one. He saw something lit up and decided to approach anyway? Isn't there an obligation for anyone in the air to take necessary action to avoid problems? You can't contribute to the problem and then point fingers elsewhere while you wear your halo.