Dad Uses Drone to Check in on Daughter

It seems that one dad from Knoxville, Tennessee is getting a bad rap after making sure his daughter made it to school safely. Chris Early’s 8-year-old daughter, Katie, asked him if she could walk to school alone. He agreed but sent his drone out after to make sure she would make it safely.

Early told WVLT Local 8, “It was a way to keep an eye on her, to make sure she was looking both ways, I let her know that dad is always watching.” Katie told WVLT she thought it was, “cool.”

What a lot of people didn’t realize is that Early owns a video production company, Early Video Productions, and for him the drone was right at his disposal, reported CBC News. He did not go out of his way to be a “creepy” or “over-protective” dad.

According to PC Mag, The story has attracted a lot of attention, Time Magazine has even named Early, “World’s Most Embarrassing Dad.”

While Early finds the whole thing pretty amusing he decided to share this on his Company’s Facebook page,

“The drone flight following my daughter home from school was a one-time thing done in fun. It was never meant to set off a debate on how to parent in the 21st century. I trust her enough to give her that little bit of independence as she continues to grow into a smart, beautiful young lady. I’m a tech/video guy. That’s my passion and my profession. The drone was purchased as a hobby and eventually a production tool once it is approved by the FAA. It was never meant to be a parenting or surveillance tool, nor will it.”

He also explained that he had been the one who would walk Katie to and from school each day up until that point.