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Drone View of Napa Earthquake
Nicely done short video of Napa Earthquake damage. This is a good way to use drones. (www.cnn.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Good pictures, however they serve no purpose in evaluating actual damage from the earthquake. Many of the buildings shown were most likely built before the newer building standards after the Northridge earthquake. In that quake we used satellite imaginary to quickly identify the hardest hit neighborhoods. Drive by or even fly damage assessment was not as useful as the satellite pictures.
In the hands of a skilled operator, a small Go-Pro camera mounted on a multi-rotor "UAV" copter could be intrumental in helping insurance adjustors determine damage estimates. The potential risk of a loss of a few hundred dollars worth of equipment is far better than the potential loss of life trying to complete the estimate, and obtaining a COA for each flight would be highly detrimental. The FAA needs to figure out that a small copter - like the ones used to film the opening shots of several Discovery shows and the video linked above - is not the same thing as a military UAV.
what if it happened to find someone and save their lives ...
I suppose that if they didn't do it as a hobby, grateful friends and relatives of the saved might chip in to defray the FAA $10,000 fine.
Turning the question around, what would happen if it happened to crash into someone and kill them?
Turning the question around, what would happen if it happened to crash into someone and kill them?
Its all fun and games until someone flies one into a jet intake.
I didn't think it was legal, but given the circumstances, it's not like the FAA would have much luck trying to enforce the rules. I think back to 9/11 and I believe a drone would have been helpful in guiding the rescue workers where to start and what buildings needed immediate work to avoid further collapse. Sometimes it's better to ask forgiveness than ask for permission.