Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is investigating something they probably never thought it would have to: a sausage-toting drone.
A video appeared online showing a drone pilot sending his high-tech toy into the parking lot of a Bunnings department store with a very special mission: acquire a snack. With a long tether and $10 in a baggie, the drone was directed to a sausage stand, where diligent workers took the payment and attached the food to the drone.
The drone is shown flying over parts of the store itself, as well as the parking lot. But Australia’s regulations prohibit drone flights within 30 meters of “vehicles, boats, buildings or people,” and the pilot is required to have line-of-sight of the aircraft at all times.
It’s clear that some rules were broken here, and despite the charming nature of a “sausage drone,” CASA is determined to get to the bottom of it.
According to EFTM, which spoke to the drone pilot, the video quickly went viral on Facebook, and the rights to it were sold to a video company for $550. Unfortunately for the man, who has not yet been identified, CASA’s fines are typically significantly more than that.
