Mum concerned about drone over children

ANOTHER Dunedin mother has reported a drone hovering over her children as they played in their backyard, as families in South Dunedin and St Kilda fear the unmanned aircraft could be filming them.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Oxford St woman said she was enjoying a coffee with her friend last Friday afternoon while their young children played outside.

‘‘We were inside having a coffee when my oldest daughter comes in and tells me that there’s something flying outside.

‘‘I went to have a look, and saw this black little drone hovering over my yard.

‘‘So I just got the kids in because I didn’t know if it was recording or not.’’

After she ushered the children inside, the black fourrotor drone lingered above her section for at least 10 minutes, hovering motionless at about the same height of her roof, before buzzing away.

‘‘So I thought that was a bit dodge.

‘‘It made me feel uneasy.’’

The incident comes after two mothers at nearby properties in St Kilda reported similar incidents in April, where drones hovered over their children as they played in their backyards in Jackson and Richardson Sts.

Both women said they feared the pilot could have sinister intentions.

Civil Aviation Authority spokeswoman Philippa Lagan said the authority had received six complaints about drones in Dunedin this year.

One stemmed from one of the St Kilda incidents involving children playing in a yard, but others involved drones flown close to airports, flown over a property without permission or flying at night.

Ms Lagan said CAA rules require drone operators to get permission before they fly over other people’s properties.

‘‘So if you haven’t given consent, you should contact the Civil Aviation Authority’’

‘‘If you feel you or your children’s immediate safety is at risk, you should take them out of view of the drone and contact the Police straight away.’’

Civil Aviation Authority 0508 472338, isi@caa.govt.nz