Why add one more unknown variable to the equation? Love them and believe there's a right time and place to fly them but it's not at the track.

 

Anything can fail. The drone can fail. Is the owner of the drone willing to buy a liability policy covering all property damage and personal injury if the drone fails, lands on track and causes an incident?

 

All good arguments against drone use, no doubt, and I don't really care if they let me fly it, aside from the fact that it's fun and can give some great product. But, I'll also say this; everytime I've flown it the drivers have always told me that they never saw it, so it's hardly a distraction.

 

I'm with ya on this one. Not quite sure I understand all the sentiment thinking these things are so inherently dangerous.

To be honest I'm more worried about birds then I ever would be about drones. And who here honestly can say that they've crashed because they were distracted by a bird flying across the track?

Sure there are lots of drone crash videos on Youtube. There's also lots of crash videos of idiots driving their cars. That doesn't inherently make either bad.

Lots of the arguments on both sides of the fence here are completely empty and lacking logic. "What about the guy who crashed because he wanted to show off for the camera?" Well with that sort of logic GoPros should be banned too.

We should experiment and allow them in slowly. I do agree that it should not be unregulated. $50 drones you buy at a gas station should not be brought in by the public, but photographers that are experienced, I think, should. Just like having a photog vest for hot areas. You want to fly a drone? You have to clear it with the track and be given expressed permission to do so.

 

I'd be fine with professional operators as well, people who have jumped thru some registration/certification/insurance hoops, have reliable pro-grade gear, easy to find and go after if someone goes wrong...like how the rest of the world works.

 

If it was being handled by a professional outfit, maybe. But I'm not comfortable at anyone picking up a $500 toy and buzzing it around w/ the possibility of messing up some cars/people.

 

I don't think the overall sentiment is they are inherently dangerous. My opinion is they are safe and stable. I think the overall sentiment is what happens "if" one crashes. They do crash (even at the hands of a professional).

At the track, I understand there could be an accident. Either by my fault or the fault of someone else. I can potentially total my car and it's my cost. I understand by an act of nature a deer may run on track and total my car. I don't understand an accident caused by a man made flying object hitting the car in front of me causing a 3 car pile up. Including a Go Pro suction cupped to the outside of a car. (I would be sooo effen pissed if one of these fly off and hit me. I can't believe this is allowed. Please stop this practice. Keep them inside your car).

I'll ask again because I haven't received any answers regarding the following questions. These questions will probably be the legal ones that need addressed.

Who is responsible for a crash that involves cars (or spectators)? AMA will not provide coverage. This probably violates majority of the AMA rules about flying over occupied areas, spectators, and events.

What insurance policy do they have and how much coverage? Does it include up to death liability? I realized this is an extreme case but it still needs answered if someone would die in a crash caused by a drone.

Who is qualifying the professional photographer as a professional drone pilot capable of flying in public spaces?

Who is licensing the pilot and checking their proficiency level?

There currently is no real licensing of R/C aircraft. Most people join a club. Link radios with an instructor until he determines you are safe to fly solo. The field is usually located in a very wide open area away from the public.

 

Best way to insure it won't be a distraction is to fly it next to a corner marshal. Nobody ever sees them...

 

I can see that the owners of these toys enjoy flying them around and taking video.
I enjoy my videos from inside the car. And use it to try to improve my driving together with the rest of the data from my laps.
But I don't really see the purpose of the drones? Unless it's done to produce a marketing film for PCA or other driving events?

 

And paint them blue with a yellow stripe; no one has ever seen that combination on a track ever.

 

Or as I call it, the camo pattern that works with *any* background.

-Mike

 

C'mon! You were doing so well right up until this point? Are we really going to claim that an "expensive" electronic device makes someone vain?

Here is the bottom line - I would be concerned about some yahoo flying a drone while I was on the track as well. I wouldn't want a friend of a friend of a friend coming to the track with a drone. If we limit it to PCA members, get PCA national to cover it under its insurance policy, which is the reason for the ban, we have some strict guidelines, and we let regions and tracks opt out, what is wrong with that?

Lets not try to fund some deeper meaning as to why a drone should be allowed. I'm not claiming one. Just like driving the car on track the only reason to use a drone it for additional fun. I'm not going to claim it is a teaching to tool or anything like that - it is fun. And fun is the reason we are at the track - those that aren't paid instructors or professional drivers.

As it stands they are banned. The chances of them being unbanned are probably remote. But I don't think the risk is as great as the "nope" crowd is making it.

Read the guidelines that I posted. It may help to understand the rules that are being proposed and how to keep this safe.

 

I don't think the main question has been answered... I think the general consensus is that 1 or 2 in the proper hands is not going to end the world. Your guidelines (or the FAA's for that matter) are certainly the right way to document what is "proper" but no one has addressed how to efficiently enforce them.

 

Luigi,
You sound like a sound responsible guy... I wouldn't have an issue with you flying your toy.

But we all know, there is "that" guy that shows up for his first DE all full of **** and vinegar.. world be dammned, I'm here to go fast and post it to youtube...

In the car we make you ride with in instructor until you "get it" only then do we let you go solo. With a drone, not only are you flying solo from the get go, there is no one to supervise/regulate (unless we now want to have drone instructors too).

.. and ..

If a drone is doing something improper, you cant (easily) trace it to its operator to tell them to back off.

 

TLDR.

I've seen the remote video drones used for video at sporting events. they do make very good videos.

However, I can't fathom more than a few at the typical track flying at the same time.

if it was run by a professional video company, WITH insurance, similar to the photographers that sell their shots to racers today, I'd be OK with it. on a track like Sebring, I figure 2-4 would cover most all the track.

but as a spotter, from a team, NFW.