Commercial & Private Drones Grounded At Most Colorado Ski Areas
COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (CBS4) - A plan to allow commercial drone video at Copper Mountain is off the table, meaning guests to the resort should not plan on seeing any drones flying overhead on the slopes there, at least anytime soon.
CAPE Productions was in negotiations with Copper Mountain and Winter Park resorts to be the first licensed commercial drone operators in the state allowed to fly over U.S. Forest Service land where the resorts are located. The company won't be operating at Copper this season but hopes to operate at Winter Park at some point after details are worked out with the U.S. Forest Service.
"We do not allow private drones to fly at Copper either, it's a safety issue for our guests, and there are also privacy concerns," Sweeney said.
This week ESPN announced drones will be banned from the X Games in the wake of a near miss of a crashing drone on a course that almost struck a skier in Italy late last year.
Aspen Skiing Company, which operates four mountains, says drones are not allowed anywhere on their property, private or commercial. A spokesman for the Aspen Skiing Company sighted the location near a major airport, along with other safety concerns as a reason for the current ban.
On the slopes at Copper employees are instructed to be on the lookout for drones.
CBS4 reached out to CAPE Productions to see if they plan on continuing efforts to bring commercial drone service to any other Colorado resorts. In a statement the company said they plan on operating at Winter Park near the end of the ski season.
"Although we are disappointed to not be able to operate on Copper Mountain, pending Forest Service approval we will operate at Winter Park Resort by the end of the season, which would make it the first destination in Colorado where friends and family can receive professionally edited drone video of themselves skiing or snowboarding."
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.
