UW police: Do you know this drone?
By Dan Simmons | Wisconsin State Journal
The suspect is described as white with four small propellers and a GoPro camera. Was last seen Saturday afternoon hovering high above thousands of jumping college students at Camp Randall Stadium.
UW-Madison police are working with federal aviation officials to identify the unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, seen at Saturday’s football game against Illinois. No officers saw it but got a report that one was spotted, Lt. Ruth Ewing said.
State Journal photographer Michael P. King took a photograph of the phantom flyer during “Jump Around” between the third and fourth quarters of home games where students go bonkers to the popular House of Pain song.
The airspace above the stadium is a no-fly zone during games, extending 3 miles around and 4,000 feet above the stadium. No one asked for or received permission for an exception, Ewing said.
The department is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the unauthorized flight. Other stadiums in the country have reported similar drone sightings during games, she said.
King said the drone hovered above the the student section in the stadium’s northeast end during “Jump Around” then flew northwest to the north end of the stadium before dropping out of sight beyond the stadium’s outer walls. In the immediate vicinity were two possible landing spots: a parking lot for the engineering building and an empty field.
The drone appears to be a DJI Phantom quadcopter model.
The FAA is working on updating its guidelines regarding drones. It’s widely accepted among drone users and regulators that they should not be flown over crowds of people.
In January, the Academy of Model Aeronautics updated its safety guidelines, specifying that “all pilots shall avoid flying directly over unprotected people, vessels, vehicles or structures and shall avoid endangerment of life and property of others.” In June, the FAA followed suit, banning drone flights near airports or crowds.
