An entire suburb destroyed by fire in Northern California.

[elstevedore]

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Five weeks after fires ravaged Northern California, aerial footage shows destruction on an unimaginable scale in a Santa Rosa suburb.

Tipping Point Community is accepting donations for their Emergency Relief Fund. The Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund supports low-income, vulnerable communities impacted by the crisis.

You can donate to the fund at tippingpoint.org/relief

 

[pixl]

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[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Imagine this was in NFZ and you're trying to escape, getting stuck in road blockages and unable to look from above with Mavic to find an escape route...

 

[pixl]

Imagine this was in NFZ and you're trying to escape, getting stuck in road blockages and unable to look from above with Mavic to find an escape route...

With the amount of smoke, I doubt that a drone would have helped. Plus, blazes like this make their own weather -- creating 60+ mph wind vortices that would have made flight difficult or impossible.

 

[sar104]

Imagine this was in NFZ and you're trying to escape, getting stuck in road blockages and unable to look from above with Mavic to find an escape route...

I'll hazard a wild guess that you have never experienced up close a fast-moving wildfire.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

With the amount of smoke, I doubt that a drone would have helped. Plus, blazes like this make their own weather -- creating 60+ mph wind vortices that would have made flight difficult or impossible.

You're right, I didn't think about that. I guess, an earthquake would be a "better" demonstration of why DJI-forced NFZs would literally cost lives.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

I'll hazard a wild guess that you have never experienced up close a fast-moving wildfire.

Never. But imagine this scenario: you see the fire, and it's far enough from your house that there's no smoke in your area. You want to quickly triage whether the fire is coming your way, do you need to evacuate or stay put, are there any jams or blocked roads that will stop you? But you can't take off because you live in a Chinese company's NFZ.

 

[sar104]

You're right, I didn't think about that. I guess, an earthquake would be a "better" demonstration of why DJI-forced NFZs would literally cost lives.

I still think that's a real stretch. Even if you were to say "could" cost lives, it's a completely speculative hypothetical statement. Additionally, earthquakes don't last long enough to give you time to launch a UAV to try to figure out how to avoid them.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Additionally, earthquakes don't last long enough to give you time to launch a UAV to try to figure out how to avoid them.

Not to avoid, but to spot injured people in the rubble, for example.

 

[sar104]

Never. But imagine this scenario: you see the fire, and it's far enough from your house that there's no smoke in your area. You want to quickly triage whether the fire is coming your way, do you need to evacuate or stay put, are there any jams or blocked roads that will stop you? But you can't take off because you live in a Chinese company's NFZ.

You just need to know the wind direction, and if there is no smoke in your area then it is not coming your way, or at least not at any significant speed. Additionally, I'd counter that if there is active aerial fire suppression taking place then the downside of grounding those activities if unauthorized UAVs are spotted in the air far outweighs any individual benefits of limited personal aerial surveillance.

 

[pixl]

Never. But imagine this scenario: you see the fire, and it's far enough from your house that there's no smoke in your area. You want to quickly triage whether the fire is coming your way, do you need to evacuate or stay put, are there any jams or blocked roads that will stop you? But you can't take off because you live in a Chinese company's NFZ.

All disaster zones are automatic NFZ's. It has nothing to do with DJI, or the fact that they're Chinese.

 

[sar104]

Not to avoid, but to spot injured people in the rubble, for example.

No. In the search and rescue phase there will be all kinds of airborne assets. Unauthorized UAVs are only going to impede that effort.

 

[sar104]

All disaster zones are automatic NFZ's. It has nothing to do with DJI, or the fact that they're Chinese.

That's a good point, but I think you are facing a "we know better than the authorities" argument.

 

[pixl]

That's a good point, but I think you are facing a "we know better than the authorities" argument.

People are wrong. Nobody that is not a coordinated first responder has any business being in the air during a disaster. Period.

 

[sar104]

People are wrong. Nobody that is not a coordinated first responder has any business being in the air during a disaster. Period.

Preaching to the choir.

 

[pixl]

Preaching to the choir.

I take it your name is SAR for a reason

 

[sar104]

I take it your name is SAR for a reason

Yes.