IN what could have been an otherwise tragic occurrence, a Guyana Defence Force helicopter (GDF 1) landed safely without incident at Camp Ayanganna after it was recently “buzzed” by what appeared to be a remote-controlled ‘drone’.According to a statement from the GDF yesterday, at the time of the incident, the helicopter was making its final approach to Camp Ayanganna, in the vicinity of Queen’s College and the National Park. It was reported by the pilot that the ‘drone’ flew dangerously close to the helicopter, and also attempted to follow the aircraft.

“The Guyana Defence Force has noted with concern the frequency of ‘drones’ being flown in Georgetown as well as other parts of the country, and would like to reiterate that these devices can cause serious, if not fatal, accidents, especially when they are being operated in the airspace allocated to low-flying aircraft.

“The GDF recommends that the public refrain from operating these devices in and around Base Camp Ayanganna and all other military bases”.