YOU ARE HERE: Home > Government > CAL FIRE

CAL FIRE | Get Your Drones Out of Our Way (You’ll Go to Jail)

Uploaded 07/10/2015

Get Your Drones Out of Our Way (You’ll Go to Jail)

A multi-agency press conference on the dangers of drones and wildfires.

IF YOU FLY, WE CAN’T.

July 10, 2015

(c)2015 CAL FIRE | SCVTV
31 Comments for CAL FIRE: Get Your Drones Out of Our Way (You’ll Go to Jail)
  1. Has nothing to do with wanting to make more laws or ignore the tweakers… Its about the possibility that a drone could be in the direct flight path of firefighting planes, etc…. Do you really want to risk putting a hero in additional danger just so you can fly your drone and feel nerdy (smart)? If you had any brain at all you would be able to imagine your drone in the same plane (geometrically speaking) as the helicopters rotors… At 1.5lbs your chunk of foam is a rock to the very fast moving rotor tips…. Similar to how water is like concrete when you dive off a tall building into it… So instead of putting these brave people, and civilians at risk, sit at home and watch it on the news, or better yet, volunteer to help.

  2. GunCam says:

    As a professional director of photography and drone owner/operator (and aerial cameraman with hundreds of hours in helicopters), it is extraordinarily unlikely that there was any threat posed to the aircraft or firefighters. The drone was most likely the very lightweight plastic DJI Phantom. A professional would not fly a larger, heavier drone in an area without consent from and cooperation with all agencies involved in the firefighting operations (CalFire, FAA, County Fire, etc.)

    The rotor wash from the aircraft used by CalFire would immediately disable a DJI Phantom, wrecking it and sending it earthward. Could one fly into a tail rotor and cause damage? Possibly, but it would have to fight through rotor wash to get there. That would be extremely unlikely.

    Seems like a great overreaction from uneducated authorities on this.

    That said, if someone was flying their drone in an area with active air operations, he should be prosecuted.

  3. Gees… more laws in CA… keep piling them on because they work OH SO well…

    • Chris Pena Chris Pena says:

      Haha. I imagine flying over a fire isn’t the best idea and probably inconsiderate of the fire fighters and home owner if it’s a house fire, but I can’t think of why it would be illegal if you’re flying within the FAA’s recommendations. Either way, I prob wouldn’t do it.

  4. Pretty sad, the name calling, these people put their life on the line 24/7, and that’s all you can say…..go back under your rock son

    • Yeah, the comments on our Facebook page are often rather interesting because they deflate the notion that the Santa Clarita Valley has a highly educated population.

    • Yeah, the comments on our Facebook page are often rather interesting because they deflate the notion that the Santa Clarita Valley has a highly educated population.

    • As of right now there are only a few comments. The only “name calling” I’ve seen is calling the OP out of shape, which is more like an accurate description than an insult. As far as comments found in SCVTV FB; it’s not surprising to see them insinuating many comments are coming from those who are uneducated as there are often comments critiquing SCVTV.

    • It might be best if somehow scv TV disabled comments, there always negative comments anyway

    • SCVTV, if you are going to take offense to name calling, may I recommend that you refrain from doing it yourself.. That’s very non productive.

  5. Just thinking, I hope your home don’t catch fire…lol, they can track you…

  6. It is wrong to fly them over a fire, can do huge damage to the flying fire fighters, even take a life. You would be surprised how they could track ownership if they had the resources… Hobbyist don’t need to fly in a no fly zone…

    • There are zero drone fatalities!

      How is a plastic 1.5 lb foam circle going to hurt anyone?
      Ive hit myself in the face with bare skin with nothing but a red bump to show for it.
      Not to mention they are covered in protective gear, not bare skin!!!

      The real reason they don’t want you flying camera drone is: THEY DONT WANT TO BE RECORDED, BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY HAVE NO POWER TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT A FIRE!

    • A bird hitting a Jet engine can take a jet down… I’m sure a Drone can do similar…

    • Drones can’t fly that high legally! I said “legally”!

      Drones have a maxim height that that are allowed to fly!
      It is under the point where planes or helicopters can fly. So if you’re legally flying your drone it should never come in contact with a real plane or helicopter.
      People have put these measures in effect to prevent what you are talking about!

    • Robin Sauls Robin Sauls says:

      The loss of a foam tile took down a space shuttle…Fire helos swoop very low. Do you want the drone caught in the rotors? Shouting in all caps about firefighters not having power to do anything about the fire is absurd. They do the best they can…try walking with 30 pounds of clothing AND carrying 60 pounds of gear. They put their lives on the line, for you. See how far you get. And then you want to fly your stupid drone. Just because you think that you should be entitled to do so? You have no common sense nor a moral compass. All you can think of me, myself, and I.

    • Exactly, a drone can bring down a plane that’s why you don’t fly them near fires

  7. Well look at the lineup, that looks like their best and brightest… And heaviest!!!

    SCV is getting OVERRUN by tweekers, theft and violent crime!

    And they go after hobbyists?

    I guess if I was that “out of shape” I would go after an easy target like law-abiding hobbyists too!

    Plus most drones fly with radio and wifi from up to 2miles away! How are you going to find out who is flying them?

    These people are completely ignorant on drones and how they work lol!

    • Read my post above and think again!

    • Read my post above and think again!

    • So I’m guessing your are one of the ignorant people I’m talking about who don’t understand FAA Regulations on legal flight heights.

      Is your “hero” going to fly a plane under 50ft illegally? Because unless your doing a water scoop aircraft should never fly that low.

    • Also, I’m curious on how one would even try and arrests someone who could be up to 2miles away using radio waves to remotely pilot a drone?

      I understand you “will” but I don’t understand “how”.

      unless you physically see a person outside flying a drone in plain sight there is almost no way to track them to their location.
      They could be anywhere, they don’t even need to be outdoors.
      Also if you said you would follow it home, you could easily land in someone else’s property and they would prolly get blamed.

      Your logic is as flawed as let’s make drugs illegal because that will get them off the streets…

      It’s wishful thinking at best.

    • Well you answered your own question. “Doing a waterscoop…”

      And how would they find them? Same way FCC finds illegal transmitters. Those radio signals have unique markers to them too. Ever hear of encryption? FCC can decrypt anything, im sure. As far as locating them, thats been possible for almost a century now. Triangulation.

      No one was talking about making drugs legal except you.

      I cant stand tweakers but jail only helps them learn how to be better criminals. Think of it as a crime university!!!

      But if you decriminalize drugs and treat the mental illnesses, the money saved on incarceration, plus taxes, etc on hemp, would more than outweigh the cost of treating the mentally ill so they dont have to self medicate off street drugs.

    • Even if the FCC cant or doesnt decrypt the signal… all data transmitters and receivers have a serial number. Ever hear of a MAC address? And no im not talking about an apple product. Not all transceivers use a mac address, but something similar. Otherwise the drone wouldn’t pair and could easily be taken over by another transmitter. It is still possible to take over any drone, but its not easy and cant be done by accident.

    • And if paid by cash you still have no way to track either the drone or the transmitter. Ever hear of a burner phone?

      Lol why do you think it’s so hard to stop internet pirates? And all those computers have MAC ADDRESS too!

      Once again “wishful thinking”

      So then they are going to waist 1000$ “TRYING” to track drones? The key word is “trying”

      And so if your neer the fire and not the lake like you said yourself their is ZERO chance for the two to collide because of the different flight hight limits.

      So it seems they just don’t want to be filmed. Because like you said yourself the ONLY time a crash could happen is landing takeoff or a scoop! And you don’t do any of this things over a fire!

Newest Uploads

See latest uploads here