FAA approves ski-video drones at Tahoe
By Bart Jansen, USA Today
Commercial drones are about to get a lot closer to the action.
The drone startup Cape Productions follows skiers down the slopes with remote-controlled aircraft to record video of their runs. The San Francisco company announced Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration gave it approval to fly hundreds of feet closer to people than previously allowed.
The FAA typically requires commercial drones to stay at least 500 feet away from people who aren’t associated with the flight, as a safety precaution. The exception for years has been for aerial photography as part of a closed movie set because the participants are expected to know the risks.
The company will initially offer the service in the U.S. at Squaw Valley and Homewood Mountain Resort, where it has been testing its operation.
Just another ego-centric sop for people who cannot get enough pictures of themselves.
Catering clearly to those with more money than they can spend.
Yup, I will be really really happy to wait on the hill for the 150 buck filming session to be done.
Do any of us ever really think about the cost per hour of your 90 to 100 buck ski pass?
Do you really want to donate your paid for time to egomaniacs? But the opportunity to be “briefed” so I can watch someone wasting my time is really enticing, so I should be pleased, right?
Drones are a bad idea for ski resorts. Intrusive and annoying. They will detract from the skiing experience. I’ll be staying away from Squaw and Homewood.