By Jason Irvine
NSW Police Force is reminding the media and any budding drone pilots not to fly the devices in areas affected by floods and during other emergency operations.
The floods impacting much of NSW are putting a strain on people, properties and the environment, say Police so they are reminding drone users their flying cameras can get in the way of emergency operations.
“Flying a drone in these areas is a major safety risk to response teams both in the air and on the ground,” a Police spokesperson said.
“While it may be tempting to put the drone up to take footage for news or your information, doing so could break the drone safety rules and impact on operations and/or rescue efforts.
“If you fly, emergency services can’t. You might be putting someone’s life on the line.”
The penalty for operating a drone in a way that is hazardous to other aircraft is two years in prison or a fine of $26,640.
The Civil Aviation Society (CAS) has a substantial amount of information on drones and the rules and regulations around their usage at www.casa.gov.au/drones.
