Private Investigator safety? As technology progresses, the technology companies find cheaper and cheaper ways of doing things and so the cost to the consumer is vastly reduced.
Only 20 years ago the price of a CD burner was in the tens of thousands, now they can be bought for just a few pounds. This is the same with all technology used by the professional private investigator to catch a cheating husband or wife and drones are not excluded from that.
What was once a hi-tech military only tool costing millions, is now available at a fairly reasonable price (some for around £300) in toy stores and gadget shops around the world. However, unlike other tech that has become accessible to the general public, drones can cause a few more, rather major problems.
There are very strict rules governing the flying of drones and their use, especially in built up areas like towns and cities and in commercial airspace, or for the use of photography. For example, you are not allowed to fly a drone within 150m of a city centre. The same goes for events where more than 1,000 people are gathered. It is also illegal to fly a drone any closer than 50 metres to any person, building or structure, any vehicle or indeed any vessel. As the legislation stands if you would like to operate a drone you must get permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as well as be able to demonstrate some basic flying skills. This being said, there is no need to get permissions if you are not flying it near people or buildings, are not being paid for doing so or are conducting a flight for demonstration purposes.
However it is currently being argued by the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) that in order to be allowed to remotely pilot a drone, you should be subject to the same qualifications and that the drone should be subject to the same safety standards as that of a commercial airline. This is because drones can pose a threat to other aircraft in the area or even people on the ground if control is lost, and there have already been a number of serious injuries caused when drones have come down. Because of this it is felt that new, tougher controls are needed.
With drone use expected to increase further in the next couple of years, including major delivery companies using drones for commercial reasons to make deliveries, changes do need to be made to the legislation as the current rules do not necessarily apply to commercial operators.
Alpha 1 Legal Services welcomes the regulation of drones to ensure public safety.
