The unmanned drones or UAVs, as they are known, seen flying around Oak Bay last week are a concern to all residents.
It could be that the little aircraft is just the new toy of someone who doesn’t realize the inherent risks or intrusive nature of zipping the small helicopter over homes and backyard patios.
It could also be that there is no camera attached to the drone, so privacy concerns are unfounded.
However, everyone has a reasonable expectation of privacy in their own homes and on their property and unless someone gets close enough to one of these drones to see if it is carrying a camera, we will all feel a little overexposed if we catch one zipping over our heads as we sit in our yard, or see one flying past our windows at night.
We all know technology has advanced beyond what we imagine and no doubt some of the dozens of satellites drifting kilometres above our heads on a daily basis are taking photos and videos of our every day activities.
No doubt they see us walking our dogs, taking out the garbage and picking up the newspaper in our bathrobes.
But we are pretty much assured those satellites will not suddenly crash through our window if the operator loses concentration, nor will they fly too close and cause a potentially devastating injury.
We hope the operator of the drone seen over Oak Bay is just a flying enthusiast who got a bit overzealous, not a would-be voyeur practising his or her spying techniques.
Whoever you are, as our expert flyer David Carlos says, use your common sense and stay away from residential areas.