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“Irresponsible” drone flight grounds B.C. firefighters
August 17, 2015 By CBC News
Drone experts are fuming about the stray drone that grounded eight helicopters and five skimmers — that were fighting a wildfire in British Columbia's southern Interior — for up to five hours on Sunday.
Whoever flew the unmanned aircraft over the Testalinden Creek fire is “irresponsible and selfish in my mind,” said drone operator and instructor Sterling Cripps.
“You have to be trained … Someone flying in a forest fire is far from that.”
Currently, operating a drone that weighs under 35 kilograms requires neither a licence nor a special permit, though operators must follow a list of Transport Canada safety guidelines, which include keeping away from forest fires and anywhere the small aircraft might interfere with first responders. | READ MORE
