BEND, Ore. — Earlier this summer, a Bend teenager sent up an $800 drone to shoot video of a wildfire threatening the city’s western edge.
He posted video from two flights on YouTube, drawing lots of views.
Fourteen-year-old Morgan Tien didn’t get into trouble because his flights didn’t get into restricted airspace.
But The Bulletin newspaper reports his flights were among those federal officials cited when they warned that drones at wildfires could be a hazard. Other were in Washington state and California
Fire officials say drones could cause tankers and helicopters to turn back for fear of collisions. Their worst fear is a drone could bring down a bigger craft.
Tien says he raised money from chores and birthday gifts for his to DJI Phantom quadcopter, fitted with a GoPro camera.
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