Firefighters try to drown drone

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Drone (ugh I hate that term) pilot flies around a working house fire, firefighters try to knock it down with a hose stream. I'm torn on this one (being a firefighter myself). I really don't see the harm in this guy buzzing around getting some video (hell, I'd want to see the footage!) but he maybe did get a little too close over the house. Still, it didn't warrant the crews trying to drown the drone in my opinion. Pretty much a **** move by them.

http://www.statter911.com/2015/06/05/firefighters-try-to-drown-drone-flying-over-house-fire/
 
My opinion, he never should have flown directly over the scene. This includes the house and the fire fighters. In the last few minutes of the video he was getting too close to the house. He simply did not need to be the close. As such, I think it turned into a grey area and people are then going to side with the fire department. He could have easily stayed above the trees and hot good video. I'm not saying that they should have sprayed hoses buy I feel of they could hit the drone with the water from their hoses, than he was too close.
 
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Yes, he was okay until he just had to go in so close. A little common sense would have gone a long way. Then I read his statement.................. he's illiterate!
 
This really isn't tough at all.

YOU DON'T MESS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY people or operations unless permitted explicitly.
 
This really isn't tough at all.

YOU DON'T MESS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY people or operations unless permitted explicitly.

Yep. Too bad they didn't get it, or maybe they did. Hard to tell from the wordsmith's rant.
 
Might have been little close but that was very unprofessional of them . I would have talked to the chief told him I'll give him the vid so they can watch what they did or did not do I'd bet they would have watched over your back to see the birds eye view of what was going on . Great way to waist water especially when you still have hotspots . Not all firefighters are good people more like real dicks . I use to play firefighter until I watched a couple take stuff out of the house :mad:
 
How the hell does a drone flying around "interfere" with fire operations? Helicopters, bystanders and traffice cause more issues then a **** drone will.
Old myths are hard to set aside. I also don't know how he was "messing" with them, but he brought it on himself by going in too close to be noticed.
 
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The firefighters are busy dealing with an emergency situation and this guy is dicking around with his drone. He got way too close. Zero tact. He should have kept a safe distance. And if it was appropriate to do so, he should have offered the senior firefighter on the scene a chance to see the fire from a unique perspective.
 
Should have kept his hose pointed at the fire, that was his job. If the pilot was interfering, then the fire commander should have notified the police and let them deal with him.

Douchery thing to do.....
 
Bad on both partys. But since the faa considers drones airplanes then that firefighter just attempted to shoot down an airplane. I don't think the faa like people shooting down airplanes.
 
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As a firefighter I don't care if people photograph my fire scenes from the ground or the air. As long as the photographer is safe and not going to add to the incident.
Furthermore, every firefighter wants footage of them self "doing it" to take home to their friends and family. Share your footage with them, educate and create relationships and these things won't happen.
Incidents with sick or injured people can be more sensitive. I can't count how many times I've looked up to see 4+ news helicopters over my incident filming to share with the world. Only difference is news helicopters can zoom in to see your name from 5 miles away. Where does everyone think we get some of our best training footage from. I bring my P3 to work with me everyday and have been taking pictures and video at training exercises whenever possible. Unfortunately I have responsibilities on the fire ground and can't fly then.
 
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First let me say that I am a licensed pilot, retired firefighter, and a hobby video production enthusiast. I have to say this guy was totally in the wrong. He was endangering the lives of the people around the area of operation, of the drone. As a hobbyist he is prohibited from flying in residential areas other than his own backyard. The FAA clearly has outlined those rules which are allowable for drone operation. As a hobbyist, they are not allowed to fly over people without their knowledge of the drones presents and operation. The drone operator did acquire permission to fly over the fire scene. This unauthorized operation over the fire scene, was a distraction to those working in the fire scene. As he is not a news reporter, he has no business nor legitimate right to be in the fire scene in any way shape or form. Although it is unclear at what altitude he was operating the drone, I would gamble that he was not in communication with local airport / Air traffic control authorities, notifying them of the drones operation at the fire scene. This made him a risk to other aircraft in the area. In my opinion, this guy has no leg to stand on when it comes to suing the fire department for the loss or damage to his drone.

As a pilot I do not care for drone operations where there is no contact with local air-traffic control. Those types of operators are a menace and a danger to those in the general aviation community. Only takes a few to ruin it for the manny. With the lack of control, for Drone operations, I see a day coming in the future, when a drone collides with an aircraft causing it to divert or have any emergency landing procedure, and that operator sought out and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Rather than trying to sue the fire department for damage to his drone, this guy should be thankful that they are not prosecuting him.

Drone operations can provide excellent video footage or video coverage when done in the right way. This guy was not doing it in the right way.
 
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............ He was endangering the lives of the people around the area of operation........
Please, do tell us how he was endangering their lives? When he was back aways, where he should have stayed. Just hanging there. Filming. How could anyone have been injured or killed?! Of course, given that they should have kept their mind on THEIR job, and not been trying to douse a toy quad copter.
 
Although it is unclear at what altitude he was operating the drone, I would gamble that he was not in communication with local airport / Air traffic control authorities, notifying them of the drones operation at the fire scene. This made him a risk to other aircraft in the area.
It's pretty clear that he wasn't much higher than the tree tops - 150 feet or under.
At that height he's not endangering many aircraft and there's no requirement that he contact air traffic control.
As a pilot I do not care for drone operations where there is no contact with local air-traffic control. Those types of operators are a menace and a danger to those in the general aviation community
You might like to share your thoughts with the FAA because they have a different opinion.
If air traffic control had to talk with every drone flyer wanting to zip around at treetop height, they wouldn't have enough time to talk to real air traffic.
 
@ Dust off
All I can say is wow o_O
 
Why would you want to hover over the scene of an active house fire? What a *******. Most pilots respect the rule of not flying directly over people when it can be helped.

Plus the ash and dust particles could wreck the phantom motors being that close.



Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk
 
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Please, do tell us how he was endangering their lives? When he was back aways, where he should have stayed. Just hanging there. Filming. How could anyone have been injured or killed?! Of course, given that they should have kept their mind on THEIR job, and not been trying to douse a toy quad copter.
When you get your pilots license you will understand effects that thermal air has on aircraft. A toy helicopter or toy drone is very susceptible to thermal air currents. These up and downdrafts can cause the loss of control of the drone by the operator. The loss of control of the Drone can result in injury to people in the drones operational area, or possible damage to equipment. Super heated air at a fire scene has a direct impact on air currents around the fire scene. The thermal air activity at a fire scene, and the possible loss of control of a toy drone, can also affect general aviation aircraft. It is but another reason why a drone operator should be required to obtain at a minimum a pilots license, in my opinion.

If I am flying my general aviation aircraft in and I am struck by a drone, the consequences could be fatal. A drone hovering over a fire scene, that happens to get caught in a superheated updraft, resulting in the loss of control of the drone itself, could climb hundreds or thousands of feet in an up draft, there by placing the general aviation community at risk. If a drone operator is in communication with local air-traffic control, the operational area of the drone can be avoided by general Aviation aircraft.
 
Why would you want to hover over the scene of an active house fire? What a *******. Most pilots respect the rule of not flying directly over people when it can be helped.

Plus the ash and dust particles could wreck the phantom motors being that close.



Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk


Not condoning the act but, Huh???
 
It's pretty clear that he wasn't much higher than the tree tops - 150 feet or under.
At that height he's not endangering many aircraft and there's no requirement that he contact air traffic control.

You might like to share your thoughts with the FAA because they have a different opinion.
If air traffic control had to talk with every drone flyer wanting to zip around at treetop height, they wouldn't have enough time to talk to real air traffic.

I suggest you read the a.m. a rules for drone operation as well as the proposed FAA rules for drone operation. This guy was in the wrong he did not have the proper authority nor did he have the proper permission to operate in a reckless manner. He is a recreational toy drone operator he is not a professional news reporter nor was he employed by any agency is to be there to capture the footage of the firefighters in action. In my opinion his lack of responsible drone operation put people at risk.

I will not be making any additional comments on this matter. When drone operators obtain a FAA pilots license, they will understand the effects that flying a drone encounters in this required for responsible operation. This is my opinion, whether you agree with me or not, is of no concern to me.
 

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