Aerial Photography, video, filming and surveillance has at last become extremely cost affective.
Gone are the days when your only option for aerial imagery was the hugely expensive helicopter or small aircraft. The era of ‘the drone’ is well and truly with us. However, as will all new ‘crazes’, negative publicity is never far away.
The media are to blame I hear many cry, whipping up a frenzy about drones. Of course, they are not. The vast majority of media outlets are geared to cover items that are of interest to the public. Drones are big news – so when a drone story comes to light, the media naturally look at it – because it is of wider general interest. That’s their job.
The fault is squarely with those that choose to operate their aircraft irresponsibly and often illegally. Without them, the media would have no story. The sad fact is that the actions of those people are going to have consequences for the vast majority of UAV pilot’s that play by the rules. You see in all walks of live. Some people drive recklessly. Some people fly tip. Some people allow their dog to foul a public park. Do we ban the use of cars, forbid all trailers and prevent any canine from breeding? If perspective is lost then draconian measures will ensue and the majority will lose out. In that regard, the media may want to look at both sides of the story in greater depth.
In this interview I talk to BBC Radio 2s Jeremy Vine about the flight test..
Read more about the flight exams here
We have laws and rules in place for the use of UAVs or drones. They are not flexible, they are legally actionable and they are adhered to by the vast majority of pilots. The inability of the powers that be to identify rogue pilots is not the fault of the responsible owner. As such, those who take their piloting seriously and with great safety should not be punished.
