A medical helicopter team based in Roanoke has had two minor encounters involving drones this year.
As a result, Carilion Clinic is warning hobbyists to keep their aircraft away from medical helicopters.
While they acknowledged they don’t control the actions of drone operators, the Carilion medical helicopter team on Tuesday called on drone owners to voluntarily steer their aircraft out of the path of medevac operations.
They told The Roanoke Times (http://bit.ly/1NgAxvg ) there’s too much potential for conflict between emergency medical pilots and hobbyists shooting video.
When conventional aircraft share airspace, they stay in communication with each other and with people on the ground. The presence of a drone raises the risk of a mishap or collision.
http://www.wset.com/story/29986573/va-medevac-team-wants-drones-kept-at-a-distance