JEANETTE DEFORGE
The Springfield Republican
SPRINGFIELD (AP) — Airports ban them, the National Park Service forbids them and now drones are prohibited in another place – ski areas.
A prominent sign on the main chairlift at Mount Snow explains drones are banned from the entire ski area property and Butternut Ski Area officials have hung a sign near a high-traffic area at lodge entrance saying drones are not allowed. Resorts have publicized the bans on websites, brochures and trail maps.
Nearly all ski areas in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts ban drones unless the operator has written permission from the resort owners.
“There are definitely safety concerns about having drones flying around skiers, lifts and other mechanical equipment, said Thad Quimby, director of marketing and events for Mount Snow in West Dover, Vermont.
At Mount Snow drones are only allowed with prior approval from mountain owners. Those who do receive permission have to show the drone is properly registered and the operator has the necessary training and credentials to operate them. They also must carry insurance, he said.
Drones would mostly be allowed for the media filming races or other events. Some resorts also hire operators to take publicity photos and video of skiers and snowboarders, ski officials said.
Mount Snow is hardly alone. In fact, it is hard to find a resort that allows drones without prior approval, said Sarah Wojcik, director of public relations for Vermont Ski Areas Association.
“We made the decision to communicate that this winter because they became so popular,” said Matthew Sawyer, marketing director for Ski Butternut in Great Barrington.
In 2015 more than 700,000 drones were sold, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to require them to be registered. Airports officials, including those at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, have also aired concerns about their use.
Sawyer said they haven’t had any problems with unmanned drones, but decided on the ban as a preemptive strike to prevent anything from happening on the slopes.
The problem with drones at ski areas came to the forefront in December when an unmanned drone carrying a television camera crashed on a slalom course during a World Cup race in Italy. It came close to striking Austrian skier and Olympic silver medalist Marcel Hirscher while he was taking his second run.
The drone was allowed, but the operator was not supposed to be flying directly above the race course. The International Ski Federation banned camera drones from World Cup races following the crash.
Mad River Glen, in Vermont, has its own drone, but does not allow the general public to use them without permission. So far there hasn’t been a problem, said Eric Friedman, marketing director for the ski area in Waitsfield.
A number of other mountains had already banned drones, so Mad River officials looked at other policies and took parts of them to create one that fits their area, he said.
The National Ski Areas Association has created a blanket policy and most ski areas are using a version of it.
Nearly all ski areas in New Hampshire prohibit drones unless the operator has advance permission, said Jessyca Keeler, spokeswoman for Ski New Hampshire.
Some of the areas where they are forbidden include Dartmouth Skiway, King Pine, Sunapee and Ragged Mountain. They are also prohibited at the state-owned Cannon Mountain and the connected Franconia Notch State Park, she said.
Loon Mountain uses a slightly modified version of the National Ski Areas Association policy to limit drone use at the mountain, said Molly Mahar, director of marketing.
“We have had a few inquiries about drone use but not as many as I expected,” she said.
At Sunapee any authorized operation of aerial drones are governed by FAA rules and regulations and Mount Sunapee regulations which include certification, training and insurance coverage, according to Bruce McCloy, marketing director.
The punishment for violating the policy is fairly strict and includes revocation of season passes and those flying unauthorized drones will be asked to leave the mountain, he said.
