Drones and Phones

Not sure how many would actually try and ski, whilst at the same time fly - this would be a mighty big ask. Otherwise the remote tethering needs to be spot on or accidents and lost hardware would be likely.

As I have said before, its hard enough to avoid idiots with GoPros on selfie sticks. Can you imagine the carnage avoiding drones and the clowns trying to ski and control them!

I think I said that there were no reported skiing-related drone incidents, not drone events generally. Even so, some of these latter have turned out to be 'regular' radio-controlled model planes - something which is of equal concern but far less interest to the media and which rarely gets reported. I live near Shoreham airport and there have been a number of cases of model planes harassing pilots landing here, but they don't get reported, and had they been drones we would have seen the usual hysterics. I think that the CAA is fairly balanced on this generally, and has put a lot of useful information and guidelines out there. The FAA seems to take a far more belligerent approach in a way that doesn't seem very constructive. Back to the topic - there have been a number of announcements about 'follow me' drones but to date, the availability of the feature keeps slipping. I've no doubt that it will appear eventually sometime in the next 12-18 months and it'll be a shame if the hysterics take over and resorts completely ban their use: more useful would be some collaborative consultation between interested parties. The Swiss insurance requirement, for example, is a simple and helpful initiative.

I was thinking of buying a 'follow me' drone a while ago, but decided it was a non starter as the operation of a drone without direct eye contact is prohibited unless you have a permit here http://www.bazl.admin.ch/dienstleistungen/02658/03845/index.html?lang=en The authorities also seem to be tightening the regulations on a regular basis http://www.delacruzberanek.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Im_Fokus/150710_Focus_Drone_Law_In_Switzerland_Charlene_Kramer.pdf

Most other European countries are now legislating on the use of drones http://www.riot.ch/en/legal-information-about-flying-multicopter-drones-commercial/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-34256680

I'd agree that it really doesn't seem a good idea to combine drones and skiiers, outside of experienced use for professional sport training etc. And I'm as apprehensive as anyone about novice users launching 'follow me' drones all over the place, even with collision detection.

On the broader front, what I'm trying to argue for is a balanced approach to drone use and very clear enforceable guidelines for their operation. The guy who used his to film close to football matches etc. was undoubtedly in the wrong. But he has been prosecuted and was using the thing in contradiction of just about every Guideline that's out there. On the other end of the scale, UK Housing Associations have been banned from using drones to inspect roofs for damage and have to pay for expensive manual inspection and scaffolding, costing them hundreds of thousands of pounds that could be used to give people affordable homes. While Gatwick airport Police have been authorised to use them outside the perimeter fence, on public land, to investigate security breaches: It doesn't seem consistent.

To give the CAA credit, they're pushing out very useful Guidelines and are trying a 'light touch' approach to minimising risk. No one wants to see a cumbersome Certification process rolled out for recreational drone users and anyway, the issue is with precisely those people who take no notice of such things. It just feels sometimes that we're in the same place as with early motor cars, where following various accidents, there was a strong lobby for all cars to be preceded by someone walking with a red flag (seriously) ....

I *can* understand using drones for filming off-piste but in a resort it's a recipe for disaster. Plus youtube is already flooded with rather dull videos shot with POV cameras or selfie sticks to flood it more with videos just as boring only shot using drones. I am not saying that drones cannot serve a useful purpose but it's not what they will be used for recreationally.

It's an interesting point re. off-piste 'follow-me': I can see the value of a drone which shadows or even leads a group off-piste and in the event of an avalanche, can start surveying the ground for anyone trapped, then transmit the location to search and rescue. Coincidentally, the University of Lausanne in Switzerland has been doing some very innovative research into programming Pro Drones to do automated surveying for search-and-rescue after natural disasters. The latter uses fixed-wing drones which have a much longer flight time and payload capacity, compared to 'copters.