Drone No-Fly Zone

As two recent wildfires raged in California, the tankers and aircraft needed to fight them sat idle on the ground leaving property and lives at great risk. The North Fire that burned along I-15 in the Cajon Pass came on vehicles on the Interstate so fast that the occupants were lucky to scramble to safety while their vehicles were consumed. That fire took 44 vehicles, 7 homes, and 16 outbuildings. Another home and 4 outbuildings sustained damaged but was not destroyed. Much of this destruction may have been prevented if the airdrops had been allowed to fly.

But why were these badly needed aircraft sitting idle? In a word, safety! Some idiot decided it would be cool to watch the fire from cameras mounted on a drone. Never mind that the drone could present a safety hazard to aircraft as they dropped water and fire retardant on the flames, this jerk just wanted some excitement! Never mind that he or she might be responsible for destroying 44 vehicles and placing the occupants at risk of being burned alive, he or she just wanted some good shots of the fire.

Okay, what is being done to these drone idiots? NADA! That’s right, it’s not against any law to interfere with fire crews, not against the law to fly a drone into a situation that could cause other aircraft to collide, not against the law to be an inconsiderate and dangerous idiot with a drone. So, it happened again with the Lake fire. Once again, fire aircrews were told to stand down because a drone was in the area.

Remotely piloted model aircraft have been around for decades. Hobbyists have enjoyed flying these toys without causing serious incidents. Recently someone mounted a camera on them and called them “drones.” They have taken various shapes, but the most popular seem to be the helicopter type with four or six rotors.

It’s a handy little thing, these drones. Any fool can own one. You can put them almost anywhere, fly them remotely from ever increasing distances, and with those cameras, see things you would never otherwise be able to see – like in the neighbor’s high-rise windows; over the privacy fence at… well, whatever; and through the smoke and flames of a wildfire.

Yep, these things are intrusive, obnoxious, and now dangerous. I am of the opinion that they might also make great shotgun targets when they get low enough. Oh, wait… there is a law against that. That’s right, the FAA takes a dim view of shooting at aircraft – even if the aircraft is unoccupied and buzzing your house. Although I haven’t seen reports of anyone being arrested for shooting at a drone, I did see where a woman was arrested for hitting a drone operator who was harassing her with the drone.

Personally, I believe a little double-ought buckshot from a goose gun would end the problem in a hurry. Drone down… fire crews back in the air, property safe. If they can’t put the idiot drone pilots in jail for endangering or harassing people and property, at least they won’t be flying that drone again.

If you own a drone, take heed. In my neck of the woods, we shoot unidentified flying objects. With my bifocals, drones could easily be mistaken for a large bird or some strange locust.