Drones at events....

[Rabbit Farmer]

Interesting read....

http://blog.motorsportreg.com/regulatin ... PcneS5v6iw

Steve

[Ryed]

This has come up in my business. The use of drones for real estate photos has become quite popular. But it is technically illegal as evidenced by the article Steve referenced. I have a friend that has applied for his "Certificate of Airworthiness" with the FAA, but it has been caught up in bureaucratic mess. Shocking...

I have several listings that would greatly benefit from some drone photography for marketing purposes. But alas, until the FAA gets their head around this issue, I can't.

[RacingFrog]

The SCCA has forbidden drones at all their events (including rallycross). This was a requirement from the insurance from what I understand.
We might want to check with the insurance company what their position is with regard to drones at hillclimbs.

[jkale]

I haven't been at the hills in some time, but from the video at the banquet, it looks like drones are already being flown near the course at the checkpoints.

To be honest, I do not like the idea one bit.. I know they are very simple and easy to control, but people make mistakes, and mechanical stuff breaks. I would be pretty irritated(to say the least) if one fell out of the sky in front of me as I was rounding check 1 at Okemo...

Any other opinions?

[3rdgendennis]

I haven't been at the hills in some time, but from the video at the banquet, it looks like drones are already being flown near the course at the checkpoints.

To be honest, I do not like the idea one bit.. I know they are very simple and easy to control, but people make mistakes, and mechanical stuff breaks. I would be pretty irritated(to say the least) if one fell out of the sky in front of me as I was rounding check 1 at Okemo...

Any other opinions?

I'm torn. One of the reasons I'm drawn to hillclimb is that if something goes wrong (with the exception of the occasional local wildlife) it is my fault, and not anyone else's. On the other hand, it is really cool to see video from outside the car, for both learning and promoting.

That said, if it is not legal, it should not even be a discussion

[Challenger392]

Notice the exemption further down the page. As long as it is operated within 400 ft, within line of sight, and not for profit, a "drone" is legal under the model aircraft exemption. If drone pilots are part of the AMA (academy of model aeronautics) they even have a small amount of liability insurance (not sure if it applies in these circumstances). In my opinion (being a model plane, helicopter, etc pilot). The modern quadcopter type drones provide a reasonable risk to reward ratio, as long as they are operated by a responsible individual.

[drummingpariah]

I can say that Ian and I discussed this at length before he brought his drone out, and as long as the drone isn't being used for commercial purposes and isn't automated and is within sightlines of the 'pilot', it's legal. He also had big reservations about flying it close to the road, especially with motorcycles. At no point did he fly over the road, or in the direction of a car that was driving by.

That doesn't necessarily mean others will be so conservative though, so I think it's a good idea to establish some guidelines for drones, if we're going to allow them at all.

Personally, I think it's great to get as much footage as possible, and promote the sport as much as we can without impacting anyone's safety. At the very least, I think we should establish a maximum weight for any drone that shows up to our events. Some of the drones specifically built to carry cameras can get pretty hefty, and while a 1lb drone bouncing off my roof wouldn't be a big deal, a 15lb one might be.

[rad rex]

WRC carries great helicopter footage, I for one would love to see aerial footage. I drive a large aircraft around the sky for a living and honestly a little drone isn't a big concern in my book

[KevinGale]

I'm OK with it as long as reasonable precautions are taken. The drone shouldn't be over the road or at least not before the car gets to that point. I'm not worried about it being above me since even if it lost power I'm not still going to be under it when it hits the ground. But I don't like the idea of it being over the road before I get there since then it could fall and hit me. And I mean ME since I have an open car. I'd also rather not see it since that would just be a distraction. So as long as it isn't going to hit the car or be a distraction I have no problem with it.

The worst case is really pretty unlikely. A drone would have to fall out of the sky and just happen to have perfect timing to come through the windshield opening to hit me. Much more likely that it falls on the road and I reduce it to little pieces as I run it over without lifting.

[jkale]

If they're gonna be used they need to be regulated. I like the idea of a very small weight limit.

I agree with you Kevin, If they are allowed at any level, I never want to see them while driving.