Jake Brodsky
Sep 9, 2018 · 1 min read

Drones are not new. People have been building and flying them for more than 30 years. The new thing is that you can now purchase one for well under $1000 and take some amazing video footage.

But here’s the problem that the ACLU glosses over: News organizations are looking for dramatic footage. So at a forest fire, they want to be right over the flames looking for that shot that will get them a Pulitzer prize.

The difficulty is that the aircraft doing water drops can’t see these drones. They don’t know where they are. These aircraft come in fast, drop their load and then immediately start clawing for altitude. All it takes is a drone strike and the firefighting effort could easily become a rescue and recovery effort.

Or consider a shooting scene or a riot. Helicopters are buzzing all over the place, airlifting people to the hospital. Do the journalist drone fliers know where it is safe to be to avoid the rotor wash from a departing helicopter? Most likely not.

Consider a drone hovering over a pool at a private residence or club. Do you want to see live commentary on some internet video channel where some idiot makes rude comments about your teenage daughter? Doesn’t private property count for at least some immunity from peeping toms?

We do not have good rules yet for integrating drones in to the national aerospace system. This isn’t an issue of free media. This is an issue of safety and privacy.

    Jake Brodsky

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    I am one of those right wing conservative, married white fathers. Happy, not angry; armed, not dangerous; educated, but always a student.