I wrote a column a couple years ago about a drone I own that sparked many comments from readers. With all the sightings of these much larger devices hovering in the air around New Jersey recently, it seemed worth revisiting.
My wife bought that simple drone for me as a Christmas present in 2022. I still have it, though I rarely use it, mostly because I still have not become properly licensed. I argued in the past that it seemed like a complicated process, although several readers offered me tips back in 2023 to make it easier. I saved their messages for future use. Well, it’s the future, and I have still haven’t used them. I ask myself, why? I have certainly learned to navigate through various certifications and training and government requirements many times. Why am I stalling on this one, especially when the drone footage could be quite helpful in my business?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized the truth can be found in multiple explanations.
First, I have learned that operating a drone is tricky — maybe not for those of you who have been playing complex video games for a few decades, but the skills I gained from mastering Pac-Man as a kid don’t seem to help much.
Second, the margin of error is also low, and the replacement cost is high. That’s not a good combination for me.
Third, as many of you loyal readers know, I am a privacy freak, and the whole idea of drones taking photos and video on demand is concerning to me. It should be to you, too. Clearly, our government is using drones in ways that would make us all uncomfortable if we knew the entire truth. And, clearly, other governments are doing the same.
Admittedly, I don’t fully understand a property owner’s rights on how to deal with drones, but I do know I would not hesitate to shoot one down if I felt it was intruding on me, and I would be more than willing to go to court to justify my actions. I wish our government officials would feel the same way about unidentified drones flying over our cities. I find the silence more concerning than the drones.
I mentioned in the 2023 column about when I attended the Des Moines Symphony’s Yankee Doodle Pops outdoor concert in Des Moines and could see a dozen or so drones flying around in the sky. It was uncomfortable, especially when one realizes how easy it would be for a terrorist to fly a drone with a small bomb into a packed outdoor crowd. That’s a real concern.
I am not suggesting all drones be banned, but operators should know if they are flying above areas other than property they own, their drones are at risk of being destroyed. And despite the annoying hoops I still haven’t jumped through, I believe the licensing is a good idea, as we need to know who is on the controls of these invasive devices. We can only hope it is a group of tech-savvy kids with too much time on their hands.
Have a great week, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 | 
