Medical Helicopter Pilots Make Plea to Drone Operators

By Angela Hatcher

Roanoke, VA – Two close calls prompted the Carilion Clinic Life-Guard team to hold a media event in Roanoke.  Helicopter pilots pleaded with drone operators to stay out of landing zones.

Drones ended up in Life-Guard helicopter landing zones on two separate occasions in the last six months.

A Life-Guard 10 pilot says drones pose a major mid-air threat.

“It could hit a rotor blade and definitely take it out of the air.  It could hit the tail rotor,” said Life-Guard 10 Pilot Bob Bolton.  “It could hit the front windscreen and come right through the windscreen and incapacitate the pilot.”

One of the recent close calls happened on an accident scene in daylight.  The other was at night near a hospital helipad.

http://www.wset.com/story/29983911/medical-helicopter-pilots-make-plea-to-drone-operator