(Don’t) Try This at Home: Drop Your Thanksgiving Turkey Into the Fryer…Using a Drone
Every Thanksgiving brings a deep-fry disaster. Maybe there’s too much oil in the fryer, or the bird isn’t dry enough, or the fryer is positioned just a little too close to that ultra-flammable wooden siding.
In any case, fires are as traditional to Thanksgiving as the turkey itself: The risk of starting a cooking fire more than triples on Thanksgiving, and the most dangerous time for cooking fires begins now and lasts until February, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Since 2002, more than 157 turkey fryer-related accidents – fires, burns, explosions, and carbon monoxide incidents – were reported to the CPSC. The state leading the pack? Texas, with 38 claims between 2005 and 2012, according to State Farm.
Luckily for us, it looks like someone finally found a way to avoid a greasy, firey mess: Use a personal drone to ever-so-gently dip the turkey into the fryer from above.
Duh, why didn’t we think of that?
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This shining example of human progress is brought to you by IntelligentUAS, a Maryland-based purveyor of drones for everyday use. According to their website, “In our VISION, by 2020, every family will have a least one UAS (drone) for the daily jobs.’’
What exactly they mean by daily jobs is unknown. After all, the video warns, “Please don’t try this at home.’’
Sheer logistics and threats to personal safety aside, one may ask, “Is this even legal?’’
Though a bill regulating the use of drones by government and law enforcement entities in the Commonwealth is currently working its way through the state legislature, for personal use, the FAA governs drones like they do model aircraft: They must be kept below 400 feet, remain in their pilot’s sights, and steer clear of airports and other aircraft.
So, unless the government quickly cracks down on personal drone use, this could be you next Thanksgiving! You won’t burn yourself or burn your house down, but that drone may end up getting the same deep-fry treatment as the turkey.
We look forward to the videos.
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