Lots of aviation folks are Twitter geeks simply for the news value. Chicago-area pilot and CFI Rod Rakic added a unique explanation. “Twitter is like the common traffic advisory frequency. Transmit in the blind and you might connect with someone who finds value in your message.” For Rakic, co-founder of Open Airplane (@openairplane), an unusual photo of Chicago’s skyline caught his eye last week. The picture appeared to have been taken by someone flying at about 1,600 MSL from east of Chicago’s Loop, meaning the camera was out over Lake Michigan.
Hobby Drones Just Keep Flying
Key Takeaways:
- Recreational drone operations are dangerously under-regulated, with current rules (Part 101) lacking specific altitude limits, allowing hobbyists to fly in busy airspaces and pose risks to manned aircraft.
- This regulatory gap means the "least experienced drone operators" are also the "least regulated," as highlighted by a drone photo taken in a busy VFR corridor over Chicago.
- Aviation safety organizations, such as the Flight Safety Foundation, are urging international bodies (ICAO) to implement stricter standards for recreational drones, including mandatory geo-fencing and altitude limiters, citing recent collisions and near-misses with manned aircraft.
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