For years, Dane Schmidt has been flying drones as a hobby.
“You see things in ways people have never got to see them before. It’s really, really cool,” he said.
And Schmidt has a lot of drones. He has small ones he uses inside, and larger ones he uses to capture scenery. He even has faster ones to race.
“The rules are not going to get in your way if you just do it right,” said Schmidt. "The fun is down close to the ground, when you get the sense of speed.”
The Consumer Electronic Association, an industry group, estimates hobbyists will buy 700,000 drones. According to the Washington Post, that’s a 63 percent increase from 2014.
“Drones are coming. They are going to be in our airspace so… we want to work with drone operators and educate them on what to do when they see our aircraft,” said Joe Coons, director of safety for LifeFlight Eagle.
LifeFlight Eagle is a nonprofit organization that helps transport critically ill and injured patients in the Kansas City area. Many times they fly to and from St. Luke’s Hospital, near the Country Club Plaza.
And like many other air ambulance helicopters, drones have become an increasing concern for pilots and EMS on board.
“We really try and get our eyes outside, like for drones or anything that might impact our aircraft,” said Coons. “The Plaza is a popular place [for drones] and one of the hospitals we fly to a lot.”
To protect regular air traffic, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued guidelines that consumer drones must stay at least five miles from an airport and two miles from a registered helicopter health pad. Drones are also prohibited from flying above 400 feet.
LifeFlight Eagle crews had their first “major encounter” with a drone back in October 2015. Over the last year, crews have seen some drones fly higher than 400 feet but for the most part, they say operators have been good and follow the rules.
“I think [drones] are here to stay in some capacity for sure. As long as we stay responsible and respectful, we are going to be able to come out here and be birds in the park. I certainly hope so,” said Schmidt.
Flying safely
There are rules to know before you fly, whether that’s commercially or recreationally.
The FAA has put a list together on its website KnowBeforeYouFly.org.
Some of the rules include:
- If you own a drone, you must register it at: registermyuas.faa.gov
- Fly below 400 feet
- Avoid flying over groups of people and stadium events
- Keep well away from emergency response efforts, like fires
- Fly within a visual line of sight
- Avoid flying near other aircrafts or in FAA restricted airspace
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.
