Kinda going off without any research but tell me - Are all the major broadcasters benefiting greatly from UAV footage of disasters including the flooding in Texas?  Is this footage being obtained from FAA sanctioned pilots?  Are these pilots being compensated?  To be clear I think the use of UAV in these reports is important and informative.

There's a bunch of drone footage around of the floodings in Texas. Not sure if FAA sanctioned or not.

it would b very hard to verify.

channel 6 Philadelphia, had a commercial last week. They boasted about now having a drone to get quicker footage.
Must a hell of a lot less than a helicopter.

How can they be flying those with all the rain? It seems like that would do them in.

Tim D Posted at 2015-5-28 08:20
channel 6 Philadelphia, had a commercial last week. They boasted about now having a drone to get qu ...

Don't remember where I saw it - a news article the other day showed a fireman - I think it was in Texas where some bad flooding has been taking place - who was the "designated drone guy" for the department. He had a Phantom (they didn't say what model), but he said it was a no-brainer. The copter can be carried close to where they want to use it, see the terrain from a perspective where they couldn't while on the ground.

There was another incredible story - someone used a quad to drop a small line to some people stranded by flood waters. They used the small line to pull over a larger line (rope) and some fireman with life jackets got to the people and rescued them.

Not sure if those two stories were about the same or separate incidents. Regardless, nice to see some positive news about quads. (I refuse to call 'em drones!)

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/l ... operation/28439445/


TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas -- As floods ravaged downtown Austin on Memorial Day, emergency crews faced an unexpected problem when a STAR Flight helicopter was forced to cancel at least one search operation after a ground spotter saw drones in the area.

STAR Flight was dispatched at least 16 times Memorial Day weekend and crews made two hoist rescues. They battle the weather and rough terrain in their job, but now crews say they also have to worry about drones as the technology becomes more popular.

On Memorial Day, a STAR Flight crew went out to do a search over the Shoal Creek Greenbelt, looking for people who might need help, when an Austin Fire Department safety officer spotted multiple drones overhead across from House Park.

"We had no idea who was operating the drones, where the drones were being operated, what their intent was," said STAR Flight Director Casey Ping.

The crew had to cancel the operation and turn around.

"What we can't really have is a drone that could weigh up to 10 pounds impacting a helicopter," Ping said. "It can be a hindrance for public safety to figure out where they are and who's operating them."

Ping said it could damage the helicopter and put the crew at risk.

Many drone pilots took the opportunity to get an aerial view during recent flooding.

"For the same reason you'd pull your cell phone out and take pictures, you'd want to, if you owned a drone, you'd want to pull it out and take some pictures," said Robert Youens, owner of Camera Wings Aerial Photography.

Youens has been flying drones for five years.

"I have a number of drones for different purposes," Youens said. "I do this because I'm trying to help people map islands or do structural engineering work better."

He also shot video over Town Lake on Memorial Day Weekend but said he stayed clear of any emergency operations on Shoal Creek.

"I specifically avoided that area, because I knew that there might be helicopters in the area," Youens said. "Everyone needs to respect those officials and step back with their cell phone cameras and step back with their drones. Just as you should stop for a school bus, you should land your aircraft if there are EMS helicopters in the area. Just makes good sense."


A STAR Flight helicopter was forced to cancel at least one search operation on Memorial Day after a ground spotter saw drones in the area.

The FAA has safety guidelines for drones weighing less than 4.4 pounds. Users should not fly them higher than 400 feet and shouldn't interfere with manned aircraft operations. The agency also recommends not flying over people or cars and staying at least 25 feet away from people and keeping your drone within sight at all times.

Raybro Posted at 2015-6-5 10:22
http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/06/03/star-flight-drones-in-the-way-of-flood-search-operat ...

Ugh. Takes an idiot or two to ruin it for everyone. Glad Robert Youens spoke positively on the matter. Incidents like these won't look good in the eyes of the FAA when releasing their eventual regulations.