Originally Posted by
Squawk7700
But, are they safer than a single engined Squirrel overhead at night? Probably.
Probably NOT.
In the period 2000 to 2013 there were over 150 crashes of helicopters and a few fixed wing, whilst engaged in aerial filming or photography.
Whilst there were scores of crew injured or killed in these accidents, no member of the public was reported injured or hospitalised.
Yet filming drones have already injured bystanders and members of the public.
So whilst drones are far safer than helicopters for their crew they are not yet safer for the public.
I'd agree that unless a independently powered kill switch with a dedicated receiver was used, then there was a risk of partial damage by fireworks and loss of control that could send the craft off into a crowd, rather than straight down.
Note: The incredible record of filming pilots keeping the public safe was broken last year when a news chopper fell from a rooftop helipad and crashed into a car, killing its driver.
Mickjoebill