Fairbanks man finds stray drone in his yard
By Matt Buxton [email protected]
FAIRBANKS — Countless Frisbees and balls have gone over fences of neighbors, some to be recovered or returned, others lost forever.
Now, you can add drones to that list.
On Monday afternoon, Fairbanks resident Ed Trump discovered a wayward drone in the corner of his yard at his home just south of Airport Way and hopes to get it back to its owner.
“I discovered it laying in the yard when I was walking the dog,” he said. “There’s no markings on it. It’s a small radio-controlled job, probably purchased in a model or hobby store. I suspect somebody was flying it and it got away from them.”
Trump described the drone as plastic, about 18 inches square, with four 6-inch propellers and a small camera. He said he found it undamaged and disconnected the battery to keep it from fully draining. An online product listing for a similar model of drone has an advertised range of 300 feet.
“I have the thing tucked away in a safe place and would like to get it back,” he said.
Trump declined to provide a photograph of the drone for publication, saying he would rather have its owner describe its shape and color to make sure it gets back to the proper person.
Trump said he can be contacted at 687-5532.
Lost drones appear to be an increasingly common occurrence with drones having become cheaper and more accessible. A 2014 Forbes magazine article mused over what to do about a lost drone, comparing the gadgets to a lost pet. As with a lost pet, the article suggested the usual approaches like posting “lost drone” fliers but also suggested responsible drone owners write a phone number on the device.
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