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Scary drone video with 9.4 million views

Probably a kind of worn-out subject, but still worth a discussion I hope.

I came across the following drone video on YouTube, which currently has more than 9.4 million views:



As pilot who often flies low and slow, I find this video (and its wide circulation) frankly quite scary. What seems even more alarming, however, is the cavalier attitude of numerous commenters there. Sure, YouTube is truly a special place when it comes to internet comments, but if only a fraction of the viewers or commenters (kids for instance) think it’s cool to do stuff like that, then this is an accident waiting to happen. (Just recently I was landing at an rural airfield where a drone was buzzing around — over the runway, while airplanes were landing and taking off.)

I am wondering whether it makes sense to either:

  • Ask the uploader to take it down (to avoid “inspiring” others)
  • To report it (YouTube, competent authority)

Sounds extreme perhaps, and I really don’t want to be a jerk. However, but drone pilots like this are playing with the lives of others, whether in the air or on the ground.

What do you think?

LFHN, LSGP, LFHM

Sooner or later an idiot with a drone will cause a major accident. Imagine hitting one of these with 400 knots…

always learning
LO__, Austria

The posters house/starting point of the video is located in the CTR and in the white sector of ESSB Stockholm Bromma, 1.1NM of VRP and Holding Messan, if that helps you to decide. Even more frightening than the video are the visitors comments (as well as the original posters text) clearly lacking any aeronautical knowledge – which is not their fault though. Maybe you could post some informations in the videos comment section. OTOH, a publicly visible precedent may be helpful – don’t want to be a jerk either.

Bremen (EDWQ), Germany

Sooner or later an idiot with a drone will cause a major accident.

That is the concensus, and it has been so the last 10 years or so. However, no one has yet died caused by any accident with a drone. Statistically the risk of dying due to collision with a drone is exactly zero. Just saying

All statistics show that the single major factor for fatal accidents in private GA is what’s between the ears of the PIC. And it’s by orders of magnitude.

Getting all upset by this video is the definition of irrational IMO.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

Well all is good then. 0 = it will never happen!

always learning
LO__, Austria
ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

LeSving wrote:

Statistically the risk of dying due to collision with a drone is exactly zero.

Are you sure you have a Ph.D. in engineering?

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

LeSving wrote:

Statistically the risk of dying due to collision with a drone is exactly zero. Just saying

Yeah. Good idea to climb a drone inside the CTR at the extended centerline of ESSB Bromma. Perfectly good idea. Did you ever experienced a bird strike? If this would have been a drone, I wouldn’t be able to post this.

Last Edited by a_kraut at 21 Nov 10:48
Bremen (EDWQ), Germany

Snoopy wrote:

Well all is good then. 0 = it will never happen!

It changes with time, I will mark it as proba = 100% in the one month after this Christmas (just watch drone sales it made top 10 last year)

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Many years ago, before drones existed, there were RC models. I lived at the airport then, I could use the runway, after hours, with permission of the airport manager who was also an avid RC modeler. One evening, I was flying my scale Staggerwing (very twitchy, needs all your attention) while at the other end of the runway, a hot air balloon was taking off. The wind blew the balloon exactly along the runway. For some obscure reason they had decided not to climb but to stay low over the runway.
I was doing circuits with my Staggerwing and saw the balloon coming in the corner of my eye. I decided to fly my circuit as low as possible, you cannot take your eyes off an RC scale model for more than a few tenths of a second. Just as I thought I was well underneath the balloon, my model hit the balloon right in the middle of the envelope, causing a tear, bringing it down slowly but surely. My model spun to the ground. The balloon was about 15-20m high, my model had a wingspan of about 1.5m.
After a soft crash landing, two very angry men came towards me. Luckily one of the passengers was my old gliding instructor. I explained that no harm was intented and it was an optical illusion that fooled me. My insurance paid the damage to the balloon.

EBKT
21 Posts
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