Last year's spectacular but unauthorized you-are-there video from the inside of a fireworks display has probably inspired quite a few people to try getting their own bird's-eye view this year.
Wired cautions photographers,
though, that many municipalities have specifically banned (and some
will be looking for) unauthorized airborne visitors, and that the FAA's
guidelines for legal flight are tricky to comply with during a fireworks
show.
This is both because it's hard to maintain visual contact with a
drone amid the dark and smoke of a show, and because of the altitude at which many commercial firework shells burst.
In addition, even if a drone photo mission goes under the radar
vis-a-vis local authorities, if resulting footage appears on an
ad-supported site, like YouTube, the FAA may be a bit more interested than the pilot would like.
If you fly a drone and post footage on YouTube, you could end up with
a letter from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The agency sent a legal notice to Jayson Hanes, a Tampa-based drone
hobbyist who has been posting drone-shot videos online for roughly the
last year.
The FAA said that, because there are ads on YouTube, Hanes's
flights constituted a commercial use of the technology
subject to stricter regulations and enforcement action from the agency.
It said that if he did not stop flying 'commercially,' he could be
subject to fines or sanctions.
This has great implications for anyone who posts drone footage on Youtube.
Have a safe 4th!
Here is the first fireworks video ever posted that went viral. You can see why. Enjoy while you can.
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