A would-be photographer lost his drone while attempting a flyover of the Apple Park campus last weekend. After he lost control of the unmanned aerial vehicle, it crashed onto the solar panel-covered roof of Apple’s new circular headquarters.
Check out the Apple Park drone crash footage below.
The videographer in question sent his footage to fellow drone photographer Matthew Roberts, hoping that Roberts might be able to help him locate the downed drone.
“I was happy to oblige, so I took a Phantom 4 Pro out and began searching for it,” Roberts notes. “It was eventually located on the solar roof and appeared to be intact for the most part.”
He notes that the drone operator notified Apple of the crash. It remains to be seen whether Apple will send the crashed drone back to its owner. (Our money would be on “hell no, it won’t.”) Nonetheless, the footage is available online to serve as a warning to others attempting the same thing.
The trouble with drones at Apple Park
Apple recently made efforts to stop drone photographers from snooping on its new HQ by erecting signage at Apple Park declaring it a “no drone zone.” This followed Apple CEO Tim Cook declaring that keeping Cupertino’s upcoming products under wraps is the “bane of [his] existence,” during last week’s shareholders meeting.
Although Apple hasn’t, as far as we’re aware, got official permission to make Apple Park a “no-fly” area, courtesy of the Federal Aviation Administration, pilots still must make sure they remain 360 feet away from all structures — which obviously was not the case here.
Last year, Apple reportedly hired a security force intended to stop drone flyovers at its campus. One drone pilot reported being stopped by a security guard with the “express purpose” of stopping these flights. Having seen this footage, we totally can’t blame Apple for wanting to stop pilots from pulling stunts like this!
