February 14, 2014

Dear Sir,

Come on The Royal Gazette surely your picture editor and associate editor — quoted in today’s story “Didn’t you know it’s a no-fly zone?” as being unaware of legislation governing the taking of pictures from a miniature helicopter — are proving also to be unaware of stories run in past RG editions on the subject.

I refer specifically to your July 16 edition last year when you reported on local entrepreneurs who launched Bermuda Aerial Media and I quote: “It is essential that comprehensive procedures are established which are acceptable to the Department of Civil Aviation and Air Traffic Control” a statement (from the Department) said. “Use of these vehicles for commercial gain for example aerial photography, is only permitted when approval has been granted in the form of an Aerial Work Certificate. The Department also noted in the article, “approximately one third of the airspace above the island lies within the airfield Air Traffic Control zone and flying the unmanned aircraft or drones in such airspace could pose a hazard to conventional air traffic.”

Now to prove The Royal Gazette was doing this “where some kind of reward is gained, either in kind or monetary (selling more papers or increased readership” is in my view a bit of a stretch and worth your while to obtain some sort of legal ruling.

Sincerely,

Peter Beckett

St David’s