Drone Hysteria! Gullible Media Organizations have Been Hoodwinked Big Time by the FAA and DOT

Washington, D.C.—We have a full-blown crisis!  We are being told that government must suddenly regulate and register the well over two million drones used by hobbyists, photographers, filmmakers and other ordinary civilians.

For over two years now we’ve heard the media tell us how these little pesky devices will bring down airliners, invade privacy and destroy our way of life.  Pulling the puppet strings of the media has been the FAA and DOT. 

Chicago’s Mayor, Rahm Emanuel said it best back when he was Obama’s Chief of Staff, “Never let a good crisis go to waste!”  This drone crisis is nothing more that a manufactured one.

The FAA has showered the media with their “facts” in that they claim there are well over 700 cases of near misses with airliners and other conventional aircraft.

Missing from these statistics are a single fatality, serious injury or even a report of notable property damage.  Because drones have driven news stories like wildfire a child needing a Band-Aid on his nose from a drone propeller is automatically a national news story. 

I guess nobody in the media noticed that there is not a single incident where a multi-rotor camera drone every touched any conventional aircraft, ever.

More importantly there is not a single identified suspect, prosecution, captured drone, video or even a photograph involving these near miss reports!  Nearly everyone has a video camera in their pockets today but not a single image exists of drone misconduct? 

Now there is a sudden rush to regulate and register every little drone in America!  We are being told that this is being done in the name of public safety.  Is it about safety or just a case of government selling us on more government?  As you read this you know the answer, we’ve been had!

The reason for the sudden rush is simple.   As each year drags on and there are no significant accidents to report or legitimate cases of privacy invasions discovered the need for regulation is non-existent.  The taxpayers can’t then be fleeced over this manufactured impending doom.

Imagine the number of FAA and DOT agents that will be needed to register and inspect every drone in America?  Politicians will be putting their relatives, friends and supporters in well paying government drone chasing jobs! 

Then they will all take credit for the fact that there are no deaths, injuries or property damage as a result of their comprehensive drone enforcement activities!  That’s how our government works!

In the meantime the morons in suits running our shrinking news organizations that helped to create this Drone Hysteria must continue spending millions leasing helicopters and crews to get images.   Using drones would only cost a tiny percentage of what they pay now.

Conventional pilots run the FAA.  They are all aware that drones will be eliminating a significant percentage of their jobs.  They have an obvious conflict of interest here.  It’s in their interest to slow the drone technology down as much as they can.

FAA regulations were all written in blood.  They are based on actual deadly aircraft accidents.  When it came to our little drones the FAA departed from reactive regulation to one of prior restraint.  That’s un-American!  So is the FAA stranglehold on the commercial use of a drone. 

Will we wake up in time to keep the FAA in check?  I doubt it.  

YouTube, Music, Copyright, Compensation and More Importantly Fair Treatment of the Artists and their Property.

Los Angeles, CA—YouTube has changed entertainment and news in a big way.   It’s brought the true democratization of mass media allowing virtually anyone to create, and broadcast whatever he or she desires.  Saying that, there are those issues related to what content gets special behind the scenes promotion by YouTube.  There is a lot of trash mixed in with some stunning content.  YouTube is also a training ground for those that want to shape and hone their skills.

Music lovers routinely steal or borrow music content created by others for their video’s soundtracks. This has created copyright pandemonium.  However it’s not really a bad thing for the artists. In fact new exposure of forgotten music of decades gone by has boosted legitimate sales!

I’m a chronic music thief!  I do it because I fail to see the harm and I don’t get punished.  More importantly I need great music for the videos I create.  There is copyright free material but it’s really lame in most cases.

I’ve become addicted to camera drones and sharing my incredible videos with friends and strangers alike.  I can either do a voiceover or add music to the soundtrack.  Drone video was made for exceptional music. I have to find and borrow music based on type and length so my videos become enjoyable.

Right now YouTube compensates artists through shared advertising revenue. However my numerous friends in Europe are blocked from my videos because of compensation issues.

I say these issues must be worked out for art’s sake!  I’d be willing to pay a reasonable fee to insure my videos are seen everywhere in the civilized world.  I don’t mind the advertising provided it’s fair to the music artists.

Below are some of the drone videos where I placed “borrowed” music.  It’s my hope that viewers will be encouraged to legitimately purchase those songs for their music various devices. 

Cilla Black Sings:

Frank Sinatra Sings:

Richie Havens and Amy Winehouse Sings:

Carice van Houten Sings:

  

Flying Drones Over Private Property and Asking Permission

Los Angeles, CA—Many people consider the airspace  above the property that they own or lease is theirs.   Some have actually used firearms to shoot at drones somehow thinking that was somehow justified.

Federal and state laws universally ban shooting at aircraft.  There are heavy penalties for shooting at drones or any aircraft, even UFOs.  

Many drone operators operate on ignorance and have bought into the idea that there is or may be private ownership rights to airspace above private property.

The law is simple, our airspace is shared public property.  Exclusively, the FAA regulates aircraft including drones operating in our airspace. 

State and local governments cannot make or enforce laws regulating aircraft in our airspace.  Many local jurisdictions have tried out of the simple ignorance of their lawmakers.  Those laws they have already placed on the books are unenforceable due to the FAA preemption.

Have the helicopter and fixed wing pilots ever asked permission to fly over land occupied by people?  We all know the answer to that.

Are those little camera drones somehow different?  Other than they fly at lower altitudes there is no difference.  Okay, the helicopters and fixed wing aircraft carry much heaver and more sophisticated cameras than the little drones. 

It would be both wrong and even criminal to use a drone to harass or stalk anyone.  Use of a drone does not insulate anyone from those criminal and civil penalties.  

However. flying over property to shoot video or obtain still photographs is constitutionally protected and genuinely established First Amendment activity.

When should you obtain permission?  Flying at or near airports requires permission for obvious reasons.  The same applies to any FAA “No Fly Zone”.

How about your neighborhood?  If you’re standing on property posted with No Trespassing signs or you’ve been asked to leave there could be an arrest and criminal conviction in your future.  Here you need permission. 

It will be a lot easier to get if you offered the property owner a copy of or a YouTube link to your work.  Most people would really want to see how their property looks like from your drone.  

If your launching your drone from public streets and sidewalks asking permission invites a meaningless refusal and coveys your rights away unnecessarily.  That also sets a bad example and precedent. 

Be kind and friendly to those that express concerns about your flying your drone. 

I’ve learned that it’s best to fly over residential property during the week when people are at work and commercial property on the weekends when they are closed.

Privacy laws are simple.  We all have a right to a reasonable expectation of privacy provided we are inside our homes and businesses.  Should we decide to skinny-dip in our own outdoor swimming pools there is no longer such an expectation.  Using someone’s image for commercial purposes is another matter.  

People have become accustomed to satellite, news choppers, fixed wing aircraft taking images.  Today they think nothing of surveillance video cameras everywhere in populated areas. 

The drones are a new phenomenon and a state of Drone Hysteria have taken over some people.  They need to calm down and enjoy the stunning images. 

There are drone operators that have appointed themselves as Drone Police and have tried to impose their own ideals on other rather then allowing the law of the land to sort it out.  Unfortunately most of those vigilantes never bothered to learn about existing law and our Bill of Rights.

There is A Malicious Propaganda War Being Waged Against Multi-Rotor Camera Drones!

Los Angeles, CA—Officials here recently claimed that drone operators endangered lives by halting firefighting efforts.  Angry local politicians vowed prosecution and new legislation to remedy this “huge and life threatening ” problem.

Photographic evidence supporting those reports is non-existent.  You’d think the crew members presumably are all armed with smart phones would have captured images to help identify the drones to assist investigators.  There are no pictures because this never happened!  Needless to say there are no captured drones either.

As for those helicopter pilots making these reports they seem to forget that their massive propeller’s, prop wash would simply blow any little cameras drones away from their aircraft into oblivion.  A near miss happened? Really? 

The high cost of these camera drones makes their owners very protective of their investments.  If they are reckless and crash them, all the the fun is over. Accordingly drone operators police themselves better than any government agency.

New York police helicopter pilots reported a near miss and the follow-up investigation resulted in the false arrests of two youths with a DJI phantom drone on felony charges.

The charges were dropped when the malicious lies of the pilot cops were horribly impeached.  Among things they claimed was the drone was traveling at ridicules, impossible and dangerous speeds when that Phantom could go no faster that 35 MPH.

Cameras on the drones are the ultimate “black Boxes” that document the drones behavior and flight in real time.   The cameras have exposed lies of people claiming their privacy was invaded or lives endangered.  One sad example was the wrongful arrest of David Beesmer who was charged with using a drone to peep into dressing rooms at the Mid Hudson Medical Group building.

Months later after careful examination of the drone’s video debunked the claims of witnesses and ended expensive felony court prosecution.  Bessmer was cleared but only after he spent thousands of dollars for a defense lawyer. 

The drone operators I know can't wait to put their flight's video up on YouTube like I do.  It’s about art, fun, newsgathering, real estate marketing or other positive activities. Activities that are clearly Constitutionally Protected!

I use drones for investigation.  Wow! That sounds so ominous!  The reality is that I found that my drone can get great overhead shots of accident and crime scenes to help defense lawyers, prosecutors, judges and juries better see and understand the layout much better than diagrams and land based images. 

Drones can't see through window glare, curtains or walls. Surveillance is best conducted with much bigger cameras from conventional places on the ground.  Drones that can transport sophisticated telephoto cameras are simply too cost prohibitive. 

You can't get that close up, face shot from more than a few feet away.   

I used my drone in a missing person case to examine some rough terrain I was incapable of searching on foot.  I actually found some property that belonged to the missing subject with my drone!

Pilot after pilot has reported near misses with drones.  These sightings all share the same similarities.  Most glaring is there are no actual collisions, videos or still shots of these rogue drones!

The media needs these drones to slow down the rain of pink slips in every newsroom in America.  The single most expensive cost in any TV newsroom is for helicopter newsgathering efforts.

Are these pilots simply seeking attention?  Or could there be something more sinister involved? 

One thing for sure drones may not threaten pilots by they are sure to take their jobs away.  Why risk life with manned firefighting planes when drones can do these jobs without risking lives?

News and police helicopter pilots know safer drones that only cost a tiny fraction of conventional helicopters that will be replacing them!  These guys are understandably not exactly cheering on this exciting new technology.

Sadly there are those people that simply see a drone in the sky and can’t resist calling 911.  They don’t report airplanes or helicopters, just drones?  Ignorance, fear and loathing are in high gear spurred on by phony drone misconduct reports getting airtime on TV.

Below is a video that resulted in phony claims to police by a woman that a drone was actually peeping into her single story home’s windows!  Months later the woman apparently claimed she was nearly hit by the drone!  The video speaks for itself and is unedited.  The video is complete from take off until landing but for the addition of music on an audio track.

The police investigation and report actually cleared the pilot but local prosecutors charged him as a criminal anyway! 

UPDATED!!! Is The First Amendment Dead In The Town of Paradise Valley Arizona?

UPDATE!!! I'm pleased to report that the town council tabled the drone ban ordinance acknowledging it needed to be studied.  They put off consideration until October at the earliest.  

A half-dozen or so people spoke against the ordinance and nobody supported it.  

I'm glad the council had second thoughts since this was created out of fear and misunderstanding. Frankly I'm proud of their taking the high road.  

As for those of you operating drones in Paradise Valley or for that matter anywhere, please fly safe and be considerate  of others.  

Town of Paradise Valley, AZ—In arguably the most expensive real estate in the State of Arizona they are proposing the most draconian camera drone ban ever!

The town’s council will be voting on this draft ordinance during their May 28, 2015 meeting. 

They want to outlaw any use of a drone without a single use permit and fee.  It further outlaws the publishing of all aerial images in somewhat ambiguous and vague language. 

Make no mistake; this would criminalize drone use if it were passed.  “Paradise” here is apparently an oxymoron! 

The biggest rub here is that the FAA has exclusive jurisdiction of the skies.  Further those including any government agency or private business like Google would be in violation by capturing or publishing aerial images of the town’s land and structures.

I guess some of the town’s father’s think they can require citizens to purchase permits before they should be able to enjoy the our long established rights in Paradise Valley. 

Perhaps this hastily and poorly thought out draft law needs a little more thought and its author needs some remedial education with respect to our Bill of Rights.

Maybe those interested need to contact these officials:

The Town of Paradise Valley, AZ and it’s Council:

Mayor Michael Collins

Vice Mayor Paul Dembow

Council Members::

Jerry Bien-Willner

Mary Hamway

David Sherf

Mark Stanton

Maria Syms

Town Manager: Kevin Burke

Town Attorney:Andrew Miller

Their e-mail addresses are below:

mcollins@paradisevalleyaz.gov, pdembow@paradisevalleyaz.gov, jbienwillner@paradisevalleyaz.gov, mhamway@paradisevalleyaz.gov, dsherf@paradisevalleyaz.gov, mstanton@paradisevalleyaz.gov, msyms@paradisevalleyaz.gov, kburke@paradisevalleyaz.gov, amiller@paradisevalleyaz.gov,

Below is the town’s draft ordinance along with my video directed to these officials:

 

Drone Is No Longer an Ugly Word!

Kathmandu, Nepal—Drone video of the tragic earthquake that struck the very top of the world is beyond epic.  

As soon as the quake hit television networks and camera drone operators were boarding all available means of transportation.  The drone pilots understood full well the absolute importance of rushing to the scene. 

They know that drone images and video helps rescuers and engineers determine the safest ways to extract victims.   At the same time shows the rest of the world just how this desperate the situation is being handled.

Drone pilots and first responders everywhere are beginning to understand that in natural disasters, search and rescue along with other emergencies analyzing the material is a genuine lifesaver. 

It’s much easier for ground crews to locate survivors, evaluate hazards and determine the need for specialized equipment with the help of the new small drone technology.

Helicopters are too large and their prop wash can actually bring more danger to these delicate extractions.  Once victims are clear then helicopters can drop stretchers and cables to swiftly extract victims to medical care.

CNN broadcast the heartbreaking video below to their viewers of devastation of this ancient and mystical city.  The incredible newsgathering capability of the drones is just beginning to get the attention of the nations news directors and editors.

Again I must herald that with nearly two million multi-rotor drones on the hands of the public, there has never been a fatality or serious injury.  Property damage is limited to drones getting caught in trees or insignificant collisions with the ground.  The 7000 helicopters in service worldwide can never boast of that kind of a safety record.

Aside from capturing stunning images drones are unquestionable lifesavers.

The FAA and CNN Agree on Using Drones For Electronic News Gathering!

This is an Align quadcopter with a Panasonic GH4 4K motion picture camera perfect for electronic news gathering assignments. 

Atlanta, GA—All Federal Aviation Administration regulations were and are conceived and written in blood, literally!  That is, that there is a deadly aircraft accident behind every rule.  That has always been the case except when it came to drones.

We all must take safety seriously and any legitimate concern deserves study and respect.  The drones are somewhat expensive and their owners simply don’t want them damaged through recklessness.

For some strange bureaucratic reason the FAA has outlawed the use of a drone to make money.  As un-American as that seems, they’ve gotten away with this form of economic tyranny.

The FAA has always allowed the use of drones for recreation and hobby activities with scant few restrictions.  Rather than make rules just last month they’ve finally issued a few advisory Dos and Don’ts for those drone operators using devices that weigh less than 55 pounds.

There are now well over a million little multi-rotor camera drones in the hands of Americans. Still there’s still never been a reported fatal, serious injury or property damage accident with a multi-rotor drone.  There is still no blood evidence available for any traditional FAA rule making.   

The FAA like all government agencies wants to build their kingdom and expand their power and jurisdiction whenever possible.  Drones are the perfect excuse to give us much more government we don’t need.

TV news organizations have been buying drone video footage from freelancers willing to assume the risk of doing battle with the FAA. 

Lost somewhere in this shuffle are any concerns about our First Amendment rights to capture images with cameras.  Many news organizations have already acquired drones and have been using them clandestinely or at least experimenting with them.  

One drone use application has suddenly been  granted with an exciting and groundbreaking agreement between the FAA and CNN allowing for the use of various drones in their news operation.

The obvious safety concerns for drone newsgathering are related to flying over the heads of people and their property.  Are drones a safety threat? Statistically the answer is a resounding no!

Chicken Little, is a folk tale with a moral in the form of a cumulative tale about a chicken who believes the world is coming to an end. The phrase "The sky is falling!" features prominently in the story, and has passed into the English language as a common idiom indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent. Versions of the story go back more than 25 centuries; it continues to be referenced in a variety of media.  Thankfully Chicken Little’s prediction has not yet been realized. 

Rather than making rules based on real blood, when it comes to drones the FAA has taken the Chicken Little route. 

Common sense for drone operators would dictate that avoiding close contact with people or delicate property is necessary.   Rather than fly directly over crowds photographing the action from a 45-degree angle is safe, reasonable and will provide superior video or still images.

A multi-rotor drone operator would be foolish to begin flying in an urban setting or areas where there are too many trees.  Learning the ropes in a wide-open field until reasonable control skills are acquired is a must. 

We all know about those epic and deadly news, rescue, military and police helicopter crashes.  There is no question that drones are much safer than helicopters.   Should there be a camera drone mishap in an urban area the likelihood tragedy or property damage is nearly zero!

I’m convinced that there will never be a notable accident with a drone being used for newsgathering.   There will be some mishaps that will damage the drones but the public and their homes will remain unharmed.