Instituting regulations for drone operators would help to ensure that they do not infringe on anyone else’s rights.
This is coming from the owner of Caribbean Aerial Photography, David Lewis, who spoke with The Barbados Advocate recently on the sidelines of the Inaugural Weekend Law Conference, held under the theme of ‘Keep Up! Law and Innovation’, at the Hilton Barbados Resort.
“We need to drive forward the regulations, we need to do better with our practices and ensure that when you are operating [a drone] out there, keep it safe,” he said.
“Anyone who operates a commercial drone should have to follow protocol. Those protocols are in draft at the moment (but they include): do not operate more than 400 feet; do not go into someone’s personal space; you have to identify safety issues; you have to be insured.
“Those are basically the most important things. Line of sight – you should be able to see the aircraft at any and all times.You should have protocols for emergency landing if it is necessary and you should have thorough service times for all of your plans – the procedures that you go through."
Meanwhile, until these regulations become legislation, Lewis said that there are certain things that persons can do to protect themselves, their families and their property.
“If you see a drone operating in your area and it is of concern to you, notify the authorities..." he advised.
He added that unlike some other countries where people have taken drone operators to court over privacy issues, this has not happened as yet in Barbados.
“I think that in Barbados, the majority of people would operate with a certain level of understanding of the rules. Again some people out there, homeowners and so on, if you feel that someone is infringing on your personal space like on your property – and you are unhappy with it, call the police...Make it known.”