This Incident Brings Up The Issues Of Privacy, Safety, And FAA Regulatory Action

The issue of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is becoming a talking point in the aviation industry regarding their use and how they should, or should not, be regulated. Even the terminology is confusing; are they model aircraft, UAVs, drones, or remotely piloted vehicles?

Remotely controlled model aircraft, which includes both fixed wing and rotary wing, have been around for a long time. When operated under the voluntary guidelines of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), they have proved to be a rewarding hobby and are flown in a safe manner.

However, a new entry into the field of remotely controlled vertical lift small aircraft that started out as an indoor toy have rapidly progressed into full-blown drones. While this technology has been developing, the technology of miniature video cameras has also been exploding, and these two technologies have come together.

As has been proven all too often, new technologies can be put to good use or they can be misused. An example of the misuse was recently reported on the Breitbart blog and several other sources.

It’s alleged by a woman in Virginia Beach, Virginia that a drone was being operated for the purpose of video recording women sunbathing on a private beach. She is reported to have said in an email, “I heard this whirring noise above us, and I looked up and saw a remote-controlled plane - one of the square ones that can move really articulately in all directions." According to the report, she was not initially alarmed until she noticed that the drone became more aggressive.

It was then she realized that the drone had a camera and was getting very close to women and remaining in position for about 3 minutes at a time. She saw it had had a camera and presumed it was video recording the women.

It’s reported that she confronted the drone operator and claimed, “This is seriously creepy.” The response from the operator is reported to have been, “It isn’t going to hurt you.” In the email it’s reported she said, “I'm not worried about my personal safety, though I am now worried a bit for yours. Your drone is creepy and violating. You need to take it out of the air, or I will.” Eventually, the drone operator left the beach.

This alleged incident brings up the obvious issue of privacy and safety. At a time when private operators of various types of remote-controlled aerial vehicles are being looked at seriously by the FAA, this sort of misuse of this new technology is going to hurt the UAS industry.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.modelaircraft.org