A man from Australia may be in for some troubled waters for fishing with the help of drones.
Why is this such a big issue, you ask? Well, the man, who may face up to $10,000 in fines, used a drone to lift himself up while fishing. Using a drone to carry an entire person may lead to dangerous accidents, especially if the equipment does not fit the job description.
Fishing for the Stars
The man used a massive drone to lift himself up, using a chair tied to the flying machine. The entire scheme depended on the drone’s carrying prowess to lift the man up, a few feet above the water. This is where the trouble starts. Nocommercial drone out is capable of this. Therefore, one can safely assume that the drone the Australian man used is homemade. This brings up safety issues, as the drone is not under regulations.
The Australian man managed to fly successfully with the drone and back. The custom-made drone had twelve different rotors; enough to have the pushing power to lift one passenger. The numerous rotors also meant that it had a very loud buzzing noise accompanying the drone during its entire voyage.
Safety Issues
While the custom drone can carry the driver, it does not come with any safety measures such as a personal cargo compartment. This meant that the man operating the drone had to improvise a seat – strapping two ropes at the end of a plastic lawn chair. The chair itself did not have any padding; it was a simple, ordinary chair meant for sitting.
The video of the drone fishing adventure went viral, although to the dismay of some. A single mistake – the ropes breaking, the chair overturning, or the drone malfunctioning midflight – could have been fatal for the passenger.
Officials remind drone owners to stick with store-bought drones instead of experimenting on their own.
