The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has finally created
a drone code for those who seem hell-bent on implementing these unmanned
aircraft here, there and everywhere – and about time too.
I have nothing against this technology. I myself am an
avid hobbyist when it comes to drones and I’m the first to concede that they
have amazing potential in all sorts of areas but conferences and other indoor
events isn’t one of them.
It simply seems another case of pointless technology
use – why risk endangering others, breaking several laws (and incurring fines
or prosecution) and wasting valuable conference planning time filing flight
plans, checking pilot licences and insurances when we already have video?
Video today holds all kinds of possibilities and the
quality along with software advances means footage can be captured just as
easily, and a lot more safely, using this method.
I think what gripes me most about the explosion of
drone popularity and the shunning of video is that the industry hadn’t even
mastered video correctly yet, but has moved onto something far more complex and
dangerous without even considering the multitude of consequences.
Anyone can buy an off the shelf drone but with it comes
a mass of responsibility – it cannot just be used at a conference for the sake
of it, and really, is there anything that is going to come out of the
conference that requires such an expensive and dangerous piece of tech to be
used?
Originally published in Conference News
