121–130 of 161 posts
Edit: Indeed they are being used and saving lives! Get on it HackerNews :)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The only ATC the article says he spoke to was the Tower at Charlotte-Douglas International, to get permission to fly over the airport. They only manage the area immediately around the airport, and it's not the ATC that's coordinating the disaster response and managing the aircraft over the disaster area.
That is my point. Any order regarding flight restrictions will be immediately disseminated by the local ATC, and I do understand that the ATC does not coordinate the rescue effort over the area, my point is he DID get the permission and actively attempted and successfully coordinated and complied withe the DR team who set up a landing zone for him. My point being this is a clear failure of the IC (the fire chief in t…
There are different ATCs and areas of responsibility. The only one the article says he spoke to was the Tower at an airport in Charlotte, over 100km away. They're only going to have been concerned with what he was doing in the immediate airport vicinity as crossing traffic, not where he was going to and what he'd be doing there.
There obviously wasn't a no-fly zone over Charlotte at the time, so the ATC would not have had to disseminate the info during their communications. Instead, that would be reflected in NOTAMS issued by the FAA.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Bad analogy. If someone considers a disaster zone to be their personal fiefdom, they have a screw loose.
Is enforcing established procedures making it their "personal fiefdom"? Because this is how most jobs work in my experience
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> if someone is willing to risk their own safety Except its not "their own safety". If the guy crashes, or runs out of fuel, or has a mechanical fault, or, or ..... What happens then ? Oh yeah, that's right, the professionals have to come scoop up the remains. Its all fun and games playing the hero, until the fun stops.
I'm willing to believe he was flying according to FAA regulations, which includes flying a properly maintained and fueled aircraft and taking all applicable hazards into account. (This is the basic assumption of good faith. That and I presume he has a license which says he's able to operate his helicopter competently and safely.)
None of that is part of the regular FAA-regulated private pilot training syllabus.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> that is because no drone-incorporating airspace control system exists right now. The question is why such a system is not even in planning stages. There are several approaches to this problem, but it usually requires that the drones are all running compatible control and communication software. e.g. [0] https://www.flytbase.com/blog/drone-disaster-relief > Is it so really? In Ukraine war a lot of de-facto random in…
>Those people aren't random, they're part of organised military forces and are part of command and control networks. these C&C networks don't control drones in the air. And most the people in the both fighting forces are mostly random ones really. If they got drones, frequently bought themselves or donated by volunteers - they fly them, if not - then not. > Troops do reduce certain types of drone activities when they…
I didn't say they did. Being part of command and control networks means that troops are informed of air operations by their own side over radio or other communications channels.
> I don't know where you heard this. From what i heard - they frequently even can't discern whether this is their drone or an enemy's one.
From acquaintances and friends in the Ukrainian armed forces on or near the front lines.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> m willing to cut those responders at the local level a bit of slack Why don't you consider they may be incompetent as an option?
Without clear evidence of incompetence, why would I prioritise that option? The official's actions make sense in terms of existing and normal regulations and practices in disasters. Also, if you don't want to deal with local fire chiefs who don't know everything about the air operations, maybe don't approach them first and instead approach the actual units and organisations that are coordinating the air response.
Incompetence is the default state of every human organization. You rather need proof of competence not to assume it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
“He originally asked me who I was. I gave him the same information, who I was with, my background experience, law enforcement, and firefighting. And his response was, if you have that kind of experience, you should know that you should be coordinating with us. And I said, I’ve been coordinating with everybody as I’ve been here just the day before, speaking with local law enforcement, other rescue personnel,” Seidhom…
Which is why he should've reached out to the Carolina Emergency Response Team or a related organisation first, rather than the possibly-overwhelmed local first responders who have no role in coordinating the air response.
The government’s main concern is preserving itself and its budget (for its contractors). I don’t know why we keep having to relearn this lesson over and over again. Your life does not matter to them; their primary concern is their preserving their power.
I wish there were a solution, but I guess it will have to wait until the dollar collapses and the government weakens. I do believe that using a non-governmental currency, preferably an encrypted one, will free the people.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm willing to believe he was flying according to FAA regulations, which includes flying a properly maintained and fueled aircraft and taking all applicable hazards into account. (This is the basic assumption of good faith. That and I presume he has a license which says he's able to operate his helicopter competently and safely.)
Is he trained in search and rescue? Flying into and landing in confined spaces? Assessing the suitability of disaster landing zones in terms of surface quality and debris? None of that is part of the regular FAA-regulated private pilot training syllabus.
But also I suspect his insurance company would have a thing or two to say about operating in disaster areas.
If you're stuck for days without food, water or electricity, who do you want running to the rescue - the guy with a helicopter, or the bureaucrat with a rule book?