Drones are not dangerous

So, now the holidays are over, and I'm not seeing the anticipated �explosion�(of the number of drones in the sky). The rhetoric in the media continues to conjure up visions of drones crowding the sky, infringing on our privacy, and causing harm to person and property.

I happen to be one of the dreaded drone owners. And often when mentioning my hobby in passing, the reaction is negative although the individual has never actually seen a drone in the sky. Ever. But everybody reads the papers and watches the news full of horrific predictions regarding drones, so their opinions are naturally skewed to the negative. And since they take no interest in my hobby, they might as well choose to continue to oppose it.

Here is my counterpoint: Drones are not inherently dangerous. The small craft I fly can literally fall on a person's head at terminal freefall velocity without causing injury. I certainly do not fly around people, or intentionally above people. And as far as the privacy issue goes, there are much more effective and less conspicuous ways to snoop on your neighbors than using a drone.

So, if you happen to spot my little aircraft high in the sky, or see me on the ground piloting, please do not immediately assume that something bad is happening. It's just me, experiencing our world in a way that is only possible by flying a drone. Feel free to approach me, and I�ll be happy to show you how it all works and even share a video.

Lars Tibbling
Highland Lakes