Need to keep an eye on those drones

What isn't normality is someone seemingly disengaged from the situation, standing outside the pool grounds, operating a camera.

WE COULD all hope the mystery drone hovering over children's swim events at Featherston pool was part of an innocent operation ... and it turns out to be the case.

When I chatted to the drone operator, Deane Cronin, it really came down to expressing what felt right for parents, and what felt wrong. I had two young nieces at the pool on the day of the drone, and the concept of a flying camera didn't feel right. As media, we've used drones before, and we know the amazing views they can capture.

Normality for parents, at a swimming pool, is parents coming into the pool to watch their kids and take pictures. Normality is also the ground-based media, on site with permission and identification, capturing the fun of the day.

What isn't normality is someone seemingly disengaged from the situation, standing outside the pool grounds, operating a camera. It could be entirely innocent, but it is a chain of events that sets off alarm bells in parents.

Swimming pools are always touchy situations for photography. Everything has to be communicated, everyone needs to know who you are.

It surprised me a little that parents I spoke to weren't stronger in their concern over what the device could have been doing. If this drone had been hovering over a school pool in Wellington's northern suburbs, there would have been outrage. Featherston is, perhaps, more relaxed.

Of course, perhaps the one difference between Khandallah and Wairarapa is there are some parts of Wairarapa where, if someone doesn't like what a drone is doing, they'd probably unlock their gun cabinet and shoot it down.

It was not that long ago that I discussed the use of drones for media purposes, and how it was something of a minefield in terms of privacy versus matters of public concern. It is still largely untested ground.

Situations like this in Featherston are not helpful to the drone industry. Personally, I'd recommend operators start putting signs out saying: Warning, drone photography in this vicinity. I understand drone operators file flight plans on a website, but that doesn't mean much to the public. As media, we'll have to consider how we take part in the drone industry too, because there are great possibilities - but pitfalls as well.