Got a call this morning to help look for a lost kid, local volunteer fire department. Anyway went out to the search area and I'm surrounded by 70 to 100 foot trees. I finally found an observation point overlooking the trees. I launched the P4P and started combing the area, nothing, returned and changed batteries, and started again. The fire captain then asked me to drop over a small hill and expand the search.
I had to tell him it is illegal to fly the drone beyond where I could see it. He was frustrated and I do understand. In a situation like this I'm sure no one would really fault me for doing so, but I'm not willing to risk losing the P4 and the density of the forest was such that spotting a child would be next to impossible anyway.
One of the searchers did find the kid, a bit cold and hungry but now worse for wear.
Here was a situation where urgency might dictate braking the rules, or would it? For me it was two fold, if I really thought there was significant potential in finding that kid I might have, but reality was there wasn't.
I have never flown either drone out of site and I think those that do are really sticking there necks out. If you lose you video feed then you are flying blind, you better hope that RTH works. Rules or no rules I think it is a bad idea. I'm wondering what others attitudes are on this subject?
I had to tell him it is illegal to fly the drone beyond where I could see it. He was frustrated and I do understand. In a situation like this I'm sure no one would really fault me for doing so, but I'm not willing to risk losing the P4 and the density of the forest was such that spotting a child would be next to impossible anyway.
One of the searchers did find the kid, a bit cold and hungry but now worse for wear.
Here was a situation where urgency might dictate braking the rules, or would it? For me it was two fold, if I really thought there was significant potential in finding that kid I might have, but reality was there wasn't.
I have never flown either drone out of site and I think those that do are really sticking there necks out. If you lose you video feed then you are flying blind, you better hope that RTH works. Rules or no rules I think it is a bad idea. I'm wondering what others attitudes are on this subject?