Fixed wing fliers fake frenzy foiled – Rod Vaughan update

[efliernz]

A year ago, New Zealand TV journalist Rob Vaughan had just taken an ambulance ride away from the scene of a forced landing that he nearly pulled off.

The Aeroprakt A-22LS ZK-LFD he was flying nosed over at low speed in a soft field having shed its windscreen 1600 feet above, the cause of his hasty return to mother earth.  This won't make the news much in NZ as it debunks the 'a drone hit me' b.s. story he gave the NZ media.  A bit more info in the below link...

Now I've been a model builder/designer/modeller for 35 years while also flying full-size microlights and GA craft.  I've been shooting commercial aerial photography since the V8 track was built in Hamilton 11 years ago (diy electric r/c cameraship) but most of the past 5 years I've hung out of a PA28 sans door   I've watched the growing animosity at 'drone pilots' get worse and worse.  It's made many long-time radio-controlled modellers life just that much more difficult.  I have seen more than a few "interesting" reports from noted media and aviation sources and it's about time some full-size pilots realise that the majority of modellers love their model hobby - just like they love theirs.

Google "Rod Vaughan drone" and we get 722,000 hits on the web. 

Thanks Rod - apology accepted (lol)

Pete

www.suasnews.com/2019/04/fixed-wing-fliers-fake-frenzy-foiled-rod-vaughan-update/?fbclid=IwAR051QiNzqoYuMRKWUwDEkdpUGPgeY14B9Et0HOuPE2I-EcEmAiyLk6x8SM

[Dave Homewood]

The fact that thee was no evidence of a broken drone in or about the plane kind of immediately alerted most that it was not a drone...

[baronbeeza]

Yep, but he kept to his story. He could see the damage his selfishness was doing to the various industries. I had also heard the owners had been seeking a new screen before the incident. Hmmmm. Journalist, fabrication and lies...... possibly another industry (profession, cough-splutter) affected. Again not smart enough to realise that most of the viewing/reading public knew better and could see right through it all anyway. There should be several apologies being handed out here.

[ZacYates]

The weird thing to this reformed journalist was that - last night, at least - the Wanaka Yak story featured comments from the pilot, whereas the Vaughan story did not.

[efliernz]

Apr 3, 2019 12:01:27 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

The fact that thee was no evidence of a broken drone in or about the plane kind of immediately alerted most that it was not a drone...

We know that... but the international damage that keeps occurring to 'drones' in the (uneducated) public masses by people that can't tell the difference between plastic bags and UV degradation and drones... It's no wonder that I have less paperwork and insurance cost hanging out of a doorless PA28 than I do when I try to use a 320 gram drone full of safety features.



Sorry - I'll crawl back under my rock.

[flyinkiwi]

Pete, I totally get where you are coming from. But I think that all you are doing is offloading the insurance costs and paperwork to your air charter company. The bureaucrats want their pound of flesh but they are not particularly choosy about where they get it.