„We don’t know who flies these drones“

„We don’t know who flies these drones“

New York, January 27, 2020

For a few weeks now, more and more people in the US state of Colorado have been dealing with mysterious drones. The reason: Nobody apparently knows who lets them fly for what purpose. You are a mystery. The TV station Denver 7 wants to inform citizens with 360 stories. But those who read these stories are more worried than enlightened.

360 stories: Click here to get in touch with us.

Reporters have spoken to people who have serious privacy concerns. Lawyers have explained in front of the camera what people who use drones can and cannot do. Companies have announced plans to use drones for delivery. Firefighters and law enforcement officers use them. These are just a few examples of what drones can do and how they are used.

Aurora resident Randi McKnight said she saw them over their house one night and had no idea where they came from, what they were doing, or whether they were filming something. „We don’t know who flies these drones,“ she said. „We don’t know what’s on some drones. I think it’s a really scary trend.“ She added: „The technology will evolve and they will be able to fly higher,“ she said. „Who knows what they can do then.“

Donald Eby, a lawyer, says privacy concerns with unmanned aerial vehicles are legitimate, but there’s not much that can be done about them. He asks: „Does a person actually have the right to prevent this drone from filming them or entering the airspace through their property?“ He says: „The answer to that is almost always no, because we don’t have this airspace.“

In early January, Denver7 reported a drone that almost crashed into a lifesaver helicopter. That was just fine. This is where Rick Zalenka comes in. The private pilot invented a drone detection radar that can be attached to the outside of a small aircraft. According to Zalenka, the Federal Aviation Administration reports

(FAA) more than 100 drone incidents per month.

„Most are not collisions, but collisions where they actually hit an airplane and where the airplane was damaged and had to land quickly,“ he said. „Nobody lost their lives, but unfortunately this problem will worsen.“

DJI, the world’s leading manufacturer of civil drones, announced that there is an app that can identify a drone.

https://www.dji.com/newsroom/news/dji-welcomes-easy-fast-access-to-controlled-us-airspace-for-recreational-drone-pilots

The FAA is currently working on a drone identification system that law enforcement and the government can use to track every drone in the sky. „It is certainly an area that is evolving,“ said Eby. „Maybe there will be more restrictions in the future.“

Colpar Hobbytown USA drone specialist Hector Parra was worried about the hobby he loves so much. „The desire to have so many rules for a hobbyist makes getting into the hobby a pleasure and a passion,“ he said. He believes that in the future the negative stigma of leisure or hobby pilots will not change in the future.

Background: Around 1.5 million drones have been registered with the FAA since 2015.