Drone footage from recent disaster areas seems to break rules

[flockshot]

I like the rules. They are great. Give me all of Class G, and Class B, C, D on request with LAANC.
I have no desire to fly over people, at night, or over 100 mph.

My problem is with all the 'side show' cities, towns, counties, park commissions, and even States trying to get their little bit of 'control' on everything that goes on.

The FAA is doing great, it is the 'little napoleons' that are making things difficult.

 

[Bad Andy]

Sometimes the video is from a drone. However, most TV stations lease, or own, their own helicopters. The have the latest camera stabilization technology so the video is very smooth. They also have the capability to stand-off from the scene, they are shooting, up to 3 miles with negligible effects to the picture. So don't assume it's drone video you are seeing on your local network affiliate which is actually where CBS, NBC, ABC, and the cable news networks get their video's from. Most authorities look to the sky and see a drone and freak out. They look up and see a helicopter with "News 4" on the side & bottom, then not so much. As far as CNN goes, it is "CNN". Nuff said ....

And if it's network news the "footage" (LOL) could be from local station choppers or choppers from other news gathering services selling their footage, or, yep, it could in fact be from a professional drone operator/crew hired by the news organization or even someone else's crew, with a paid agreement for the video. The stuff that the great unwashed doesn't see is when a remote news crew covering a massive sinkhole finishes their piece featuring a dramatic pull-out to show the scale and depth of the hole, and the camera person zooms out before taking the camera off the sticks, and along with the extra lighting, reflectors, shades, etc. you get a glimpse of the little white tent with folding chair, the drone stuff, stacks of batteries, and so on. The great unwashed also don't experience the frantic yelling and phone calls in the news room as we attempt to acquire rights to pictures and videos minutes or even seconds before the news goes live on air.

There also may be cases where it looks like a drone may be directly over a crowd, and may not actually be. The chosen focal length and altitude is unknown to the viewer and could be deceiving. But since no reference was given, it's hard to say.

I can't help find it amusing, by the way, that folks seem concerned about fifteen pounds or whatever of drone and camera overhead, but not so much about 4000+ lbs of chopper, fuel, equipment and personnel.

FYI, a 1-1/2 oz egg can give someone a serious concussion when dropped from 100'.

Good news is the octocopters used by the big boys don't fall out of the sky if they lunch a rotor or a battery pack.

 

[Bayflier]

As one who works closely with wildland firefighters, I feel I need to reiterate that flying around an active fire is of no use to anyone. And if you think you’re getting footage that helps the effort or victims, you’re not.

 

[Dwilliams35]

Speaking from the perspective of somebody that was right in the middle of Harvey, I can tell you that all the rules went out the window... Guys with duck hunting boats became the primary first responders with or without licenses, training, or direction from “the authorities”, anybody with a dry spot in the garage became a shelter, anybody with an operating kitchen, or even any good sized bbq pit became a “feeding station” with or without the approval of the health department, etc.... the Red Cross rolled in, looked around, said “dang, looks like they’ve got this handled”, and were relegated to utter ineffectiveness. Any ten year old with an operable drone became a SAR asset, with full approval of the cops, the national guard, etc... it was just a spectacular case of “get it done”, to heck with the bureaucrats’ approval or lack thereof, and with the full approval and eternal gratitude of the people who were ostensibly in mortal danger from the drone buzzing over their heads..

As it should be.