Was your drone knocked off its flight by a helicopter?

[Chip]

the more i watch it the more i think it was staged notice how the people on the jet skies are moving away from the point where the drone hit the water also the heli was not close enough for the prop wash to have downed the drone what do you think

I guess its possible but we have some people here on the forum who are very good at spotting fake video and no one has questioned the bona fides of this one yet.

 

[laurens23]

I guess its possible but we have some people here on the forum who are very good at spotting fake video and no one has questioned the bona fides of this one yet.

The video looks real however it looks like the whole thing was a setup. I bet someone planned this whole thing ahead of time. Someone from the organisation flying (hovering) the drone at a safe place and then as per script have the heli comes in to smack it into the water.

Probably for a combination of publicity and to deter people flying their drone at the event.

The height, location and behaviour makes no sense for a random guy wanting to take pictures of the event. Anyone wanting to take drone pictures would either be higher up, be near the actual waves/action, or be flying around and not just hovering.

 

[ataraxia]

That is pretty funny. Sucks for the drone pilot, maybe next time they'll not fly over people.

Yes, because flying a 700g drone over people is way more dangerous than a helicopter.

 

[deleted member 877]

Yes, because flying a 700g drone over people is way more dangerous than a helicopter.

Actually, it is. Think about it.

 

[ataraxia]

Actually, it is. Think about it.

Ok thought about it, I'd rather be hit by a drone than a helicopter

 

[deleted member 877]

Ok thought about it, I'd rather be hit by a drone than a helicopter

Think again - this time from a standpoint of probability. Which type of aircraft is more likely to fail mid-flight? The $1000 drone piloted by some dude or the helicopter, piloted by a serious professional usually with thousands of hours experience?

 

[ataraxia]

Think again - this time from a standpoint of probability. Which type of aircraft is more likely to fail mid-flight? The $1000 drone piloted by some dude or the helicopter, piloted by a serious professional usually with thousands of hours experience?

I think when you look at potential damage in the case of an accident, probability becomes less of a consideration the bigger the aircraft gets. Also, in the UK for example, it is illegal to fly a helicopter lower than 500 feet except for take off and landing, for this very reason.

 

[lmel2005]

LOL! The helicopter pushed the drone on people's heads, because it was obvious that drone wouldn't fall by itself!

 

[deleted member 877]

The average recreational drone pilot is someone with no prior aviation related experience and who may or may not be aware of the relevant regulations and guidelines. The average drone pilot is not a real pilot.

The average helicopter pilot is a seasoned professional with many hours or airtime under his/her belt who is required to pass comprehensive theory and practical examinations in order to be issued a license to legally fly a designated aircraft. The average helicopter pilot is a real pilot.

The facts regarding this incident would indicate that the drone pilot was illegally flying the drone over people. Again, in terms of public perception and how the FAA would most likely consider the chain of events, the drone pilot’s actions were the cause of subsequent events related to the incident.

Again, the mainstream press is not (I repeat “not”) going to show any mercy to the drone pilot when reporting this incident. It’s just another nail in the coffin that the FAA along with the professional drone operator lobby groups are building in an effort to bury the recreational drone pilot community.

Please keep this in mind when bleating about whether or not the helicopter pilot was reckless or doing something illegal. It will not make one iota of difference when it comes to how the drone pilot’s actions are generally perceived by the FAA and the general community.

No one should be making any excuses for this guy, at least not publically and that includes forums such as this one that is constantly monitored by the FAA. Doing so will only help to strengthen the perception that the recreational drone pilot community is top heavy with irresponsible cowboys.

If the whole thing was, in fact, a staged setup then that fact should hopefully be reported truthfully.

 

[sar104]

The average recreational drone pilot is someone with no prior aviation related experience and who may or may not be aware of the relevant regulations and guidelines. The average drone pilot is not a real pilot.

The average helicopter pilot is a seasoned professional with many hours or airtime under his/her belt who is required to pass comprehensive theory and practical examinations in order to be issued a license to legally fly a designated aircraft. The average helicopter pilot is a real pilot.

The facts regarding this incident would indicate that the drone pilot was illegally flying the drone over people. Again, in terms of public perception and how the FAA would most likely consider the chain of events, the drone pilot’s actions were the cause of subsequent events related to the incident.

Again, the mainstream press is not (I repeat “not”) going to show any mercy to the drone pilot when reporting this incident. It’s just another nail in the coffin that the FAA along with the professional drone operator lobby groups are building in an effort to bury the recreational drone pilot community.

Please keep this in mind when bleating about whether or not the helicopter pilot was reckless or doing something illegal. It will not make one iota of difference when it comes to how the drone pilot’s actions are generally perceived by the FAA and the general community.

No one should be making any excuses for this guy, at least not publically and that includes forums such as this one that is constantly monitored by the FAA. Doing so will only help to strengthen the perception that the recreational drone pilot community is top heavy with irresponsible cowboys.

If the whole thing was, in fact, a staged setup then that fact should hopefully be reported truthfully.

Whether or not this was an average drone pilot is unknown. However, I'm pretty sure that even an average helicopter pilot would not have attempted such a stupid stunt.

I agree that most likely public opinion will side with the helicopter pilot, but that's out of ignorance. The correct criticism of the drone pilot would be that flying over people is unsafe because of the possibility of the drone crashing into those people. But the helicopter pilot, also flying recklessly close to people, deliberately ensured that the drone did crash, and was fortunate that it didn't hit anyone. There is absolutely no way to defend that course of action. If that was under FAA jurisdiction I would expect the helicopter pilot to be an ex-pilot pretty soon.

 

[swooshdave]

Unless the drone pilot was out of VLOS then as soon as the helicopter showed up he should have hightailed the drone out of there. Well, that’s what I would have done.

 

[sar104]

Unless the drone pilot was out of VLOS then as soon as the helicopter showed up he should have hightailed the drone out of there. Well, that’s what I would have done.

Me too. But BVLOS is certainly a possibility. I guess it's also possible that it was staged, although that seems like an extraordinarily poor idea.

 

[Slim.slamma]

Situational Awareness was poor across the board

 

[bushie]

So that noone can say I am not a real pilot. i have 1000+ hours in GA aircraft, much in very remote areas of Australia.

I am in no way defending the drone pilot (For want of a better word), though I am at a loss to understand how the organisers of the surfing competition can have the right to ban photographers.

The helicopter pilot should have the book thrown at him. Just because the drone is in the wrong gives him absolutely no right to deliberately cause it to crash, nor to endanger both himself and onlookers.

All crazy stuff.

 

[Slim.slamma]

A world full of bullies
No TFR only inland

 

[laurens23]

Me too. But BVLOS is certainly a possibility. I guess it's also possible that it was staged, although that seems like an extraordinarily poor idea.

using the heli in this way was an extraordinarily poor idea, regardless of it being staged or not

 

[Chip]

... I am at a loss to understand how the organisers of the surfing competition can have the right to ban photographers....

I agree, it sounds like total BS. But, I found this quote in a related article suggesting that is exactly what the WSL thinks it can do:

"According to a tipster that wrote in to PetaPixel, the WSL is really, really protective of their events and of the intellectual property that might be derived from them; hence, the strong arm approach to what the tipster says was a DJI Mavic drone that decided to drop in on the event.

Tipster Andrew Grose told the publication, “Like most sporting organizations the World Surf League (WSL) has been known to be quite protective in terms of its intellectual property rights…This is especially with regard to its copyright laws, making professional filming or photographing within contest areas almost impossible unless directly contracted by the WSL.”

He continues: “While some might argue that the drone operator was within the law to fly their drone in a public place, more responsible drone operators would be quick to point out the dangers associated with flying a drone directly over people as well as within close proximity to other larger aircraft such as a Helicopter in this instance.”

 

[Tiago_Wolf]

Actually helicopters get a special dispensation from the normal rule that manned aircraft cannot come closer than 500 feet to people. For helicopters FAR 91.119 says that helicopters may operate below minimums “if the operation can be conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface.” This is because helicopters can autorotate to a pinpoint landing in the event of an engine failure. Unquestionably if that heli’s engine had failed he would have endangered the people on the surface. I think the guy ought to be reported to the FSDO in Hawaii.

Yeah but that doesn't give him the right to perform a high risk manoeuvre like that.

Would love to see what could have happened if that heli had crashed into those waters cutting in half all those Jokers.

This was definitely staged thoug and that's why they were so eager to catch the MP first instance he got on water (care refresh)

 

[hoggdoc]

That is pretty funny. Sucks for the drone pilot, maybe next time they'll not fly over people.

OMG did you just say that. So it's not ok for a very small multi rotor to fly over these surfers, but it ok for a huge 1 ton jet engined helicopter to fly in the same area? Besides the copter pilot violated FAA regulations by intentionally endangering another aircraft.

Personally I think the copter pilot and the people that hired him should be held accountable both for the Mavic Pilots financial loss and breaking FAA regulations with their actions. This is just more drone histratia at it's best.

 

[hoggdoc]

Based on measurements from the video, the Mavic is around 25 ft up and the helicopter is at around 60 ft.

Which do you think posed more danger to the people below the aircrafts?