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Holiday Boom In Drone Sales Raises Safety Questions

  Drones are on the gift lists of many this holiday season. Forbes magazine says the commercial drone market will generate more than a billion dollars in the U.S. this year, while the FAA predicts one million Americans will purchase them. 

That is raising concerns that inexperienced or careless hobbyists will fly them into active airspace, possibly causing collisions with other aircraft.  Jerry Ivancic  owns a hobby store in Strongsville that stocks 50 different drones. He says employees educate drone purchasers before they leave his store.  

"Using common sense and staying in safe areas.  Staying away from highways, flying within certains distances of schools and hospitals and prisons... because you do not want these to interfere with anybody's well-being or health.  Not harming anybody and not, you know, disrupting anything - is exactly what we stress when we're talking with our customers."  

Ivancic says drone operators need a permit if using them for business purposes,while hobbyists need to be aware of laws and restrictions outlined by the FAA and local municipalities. 
 

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