Terror strikes the Edmonton, Canada earlier this week as a drone disturbed incoming flights in the area. Yes, another incident regarding a drone, a passenger plane, and more emphasis on guidelines surrounding drones. It seems people never learn, and that having a drone is the equivalent to having a toy. Too bad this particular toy has the capability to fly at a plane’s level – and send it crashing.
Crashing, in this particular case, into the Edmonton suburbs and population centers. Hundreds of people on board and thousands more below were at risk. All because of a drone probably purchased at an electronics store with a few spare change.
Edmonton Drone Incident:
The incident occurred 4,000 feet in the air – an obvious direct violation on drone regulations. Drones cannot go past 400 feet up when flying. This drone managed to go ten times beyond that.
That offers the question: what was the drone user thinking flying that high up?
Because surely, one can see well enough even at 400 feet in the air. To fly at great heights – to plane levels – questions the owner’s motives. Was it malice that brought the drone there? Was it a deliberate attempt to have a close encounter with a fully loaded passenger plane?
These questions sadly received no answer after the Edmonton incident. Like always, the owner and its drone are long gone when officials searched the area. The drone was in a civilian area though, meaning the owner must have been in the vicinity.
As always, here at DroneAddicts.net, we are here to remind you of the guidelines that all recreational drone users must abide. The 400 feet rule for one, as mentioned above. Another restriction to consider is that one cannot fly drones up to 1 kilometer from airport boundaries. Drones also cannot fly above crowded and tightly packed places or events. They also cannot fly inside stadiums or roofed buildings – especially if there are people below.
With these plane near-misses, it is a frightening image to think about if – or when – a drone finally makes direct contact.
