LifeFlight of Maine says its pilots have encountered drones when approaching and departing Maine's major hospitals in Bangor, Lewiston, and Portland, putting pilots, patients and crews at risk.
Mike Bonenfant is a helicopter pilot and aviation safety coordinator for LifeFlight. He says those encounters are not only dangerous but also a violation of FAA regulations prohibiting drone activity within five nautical miles of an airport.
"You're traveling 165 mph and our windscreens are not that thick and it could come right through the windscreen. Or right into the rotor system or tail rotor system and damage those components and it could be catastrophic," Bonenfant says.
LifeFlight says it's up to the drone operator to be aware of aircraft within their area of operation and keep their drone far away.
"We want to make people aware that just a small 60-dollar drone can bring down a 7-million-dollar helicopter with many lives on board," Bonenfant says.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations also require drones to yield the right-of-way to any manned aircraft. Drone encounters are reported to local law enforcement and the FAA.
The FAA offers drone training.
