With the states in the west of the United States seeing historic wildfires, efforts to extinguish the flames are at an all-time high. In a massive, 100,000 acre wildfire devastating Idaho, all aircraft were forced to land for an hour and a half after a drone was spotted in the airspace, according to Channel 4 Utah.
Taking action
The punishment that comes along with interfering wildfire fighting efforts comes with federal charges. These seem to not do the trick as news of drone interferences circulate each time there is a wildfire. It’s hard to catch these operators as they are usually flying from a far distance, so experts have proposed new ways to take action immediately when a drone is spotted.
Fortem Technologies offers a wide range of anti-drone applications like radar systems to attach to manned aircraft like helicopters. This gives the aircraft a 15-20 second warning that a small UAV is in the area, allowing the pilot to take necessary precautions.
They also offer a drone called the drone hunter which uses software to track rouge UAV’s. After the target is acquired, the drone hunter pursues the aircraft and neutralize’s it mid-flight if necessary using a net. The drone hunter then tows away the captured target back to the ground.
Flying anywhere near emergency efforts is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the FAA. Please remember to fly responsibly!
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