Drones and races don't mix: footage of accident

[KLizotte]

Here is footage of a drone crashing into a crit racer that caused him to go over the handlebars (starts at about :36 sec point).

Drones are often seen as toys and operated by amateurs but they are subject to failure (e.g., lost link), wind gusts, and bad decision making by the remote pilot. Please keep in mind that operating drones over people and beyond visual line of sight is *illegal* in most instances (public safety operators like the police can get waivers from the FAA). It is also illegal to operate a drone within most areas contained within the Capital Beltway.

If you see a drone being operated near a race, immediately inform the police, race operators, and ask the remote pilot to stop immediately. Flying a drone around cyclists (or runners) is akin to hitting baseballs at the competitors. A runner was recently knocked unconscious by a drone operator during a race.

http://espn1420.com/drone-accidental...ng-race-video/

For more info on safe UAS operations and what is legally permissible, please visit www.faa.gov/uas.

[Brett L.]

Oh god that's scary!

Another incident that's happened lately, and what can happen to those caught in violation.

http://pgpolice.blogspot.com/2017/04...n-college.html
http://pgpolice.blogspot.com/2017/04...in-prince.html

[anomad]

UAS operators are not created equal.