Comment A few unbelievably flippant comments here (Score 1) 325
Several posters incredulously have stated that the risk to the plane was nonexistent, equating it to a bird strike (which in fact *is* dangerous). This is just plainly irresponsible on their part. We in fact cannot say what the outcome of a collision would be but we can say the risk of loss of life or damage to the aircraft is not zero. Is this acceptable to you personally? Perhaps it's okay for strangers whom you do not know? Family and loved ones? The risk of collision, however small, is a completely preventable risk, and it shouldn't even be there in the first place. That's why authorities are coming down hard and harder on the hobby.
Whether the airplane was in real danger or not, this incident is just one more of what are becoming weekly if not daily occurrences and show the utter stupidity of some people who fly these RC toys in reckless and dangerous ways. Every serious RC modeler knows that there are restrictions flying near airports, and strives to be safe and situationally aware. These idiots flying their RC toys next to full-scale aircraft are neither safe nor situationally aware, and really are ruining the hobby for everyone, and it will be a loss to all of the rest of us. Yes I'm sure this is all said so often that it gets really old, but this story makes me very angry as someone who flies RC airplanes and the occasional quad, and the situation is not improving. Self regulation is not working because idiots don't self-regulate. So sooner or later the entire hobby will be banned (besides that, none of these airplane buzzers build their own craft; they just buy a ready-made unit and toss it in the air without any apparent thought), plain and simple.