Originally Posted by
porcia83
"Not sure if this is going to work, looks sort of sketchy, there's that guy on my runway". Does this appear to be a safe and reasonable place to fly? Public beach, members of the public meandering around, right next to a pier full of people, and a busy roadway (that the pilot drove on while playing with his phone).
The pilots name: The troublemaker. LOL. You can't make this stuff up. In the words of many a pilot...perhaps those that Mike continues to call "idiots"....what could possibly go wrong?
He didn't appear to break any AMA or FAA rules, so I do not know what your beef is with this flight.
Remember the Whole Park Flyer program that was rolled out and funded by the AMA? Isn't this the type of flying that program advocated and embraced?
Originally Posted by porcia83
I guess my tolerance for risk and potential problems is much lower than his. To each their own. Given the scrutiny this hobby faces now, it doesn't look like a good move. I can only imagine the outrage if that guy was flying a DJI Phantom and it was shot out of the air, rather than his traditional fixed wing aircraft. I can hear the cheers now.
Well, I guess you'll have to keep on imagining, because it wasn't and it didn't. Why do you keep on with the what if's? Kinda like what you call, "doom and gloom", right?
As far as it being a DJI and getting shot out of the air. This is a perfect example of what separates "traditional" from Drone. Don't you think there would be much more likelihood of public outrage about this guys flight if he were hovering a DJI over the bikini-clad sunbather while filming, or at the pier, hovering over a fisherman's head, or a couple that were trying to have a quiet moment to themselves? In this instance, he was out to enjoy a flight (for the pure enjoyment of flying) at a public park that was provided by the public for all to enjoy, whether it be flying, sunbathing, fishing, surfing, etc.
Astro