Drone view of the neighborhood from last weekend.

Garandman · Sep 1, 2015

Interesting: Independent Drone Repair - SKYLAB BOSTON.COM

Trimble has a number of multirotor and fixed-wing UAV's for surveying. - UX5 | Unmanned Aircraft Systems - Trimble

Part of the privacy concern may just be the novelty. Imagine if cars were invented after TBN.....

IslandTractor · Sep 1, 2015

The more I think about UAVs, the more I think the operators should be licensed. The FAA should have a relatively simple training program and certification process that everyone with more than a toy drone should comply with. Same as automobiles and private planes and CCW. It's what we should be doing with boats too (most countries do). The idea is not to set up difficult barriers but rather to insure competence, safety and to insure understanding of the rules of the road (air) before permitting flights with machines that are clearly not just toys. Maybe have some type of limit below which no license is required for toys as with motorbikes and row boats but any device that can potentially reach air traffic pathways or highways or city streets etc and anything that can carry a load of more than a few ounces should be operated by someone who has done more to prepare than just hit the "buy it now" button on Amazon. That might not stop terrorists but it would cut down on the bozo (hold my beer) factor that threatens the whole UAV industry.

oldballs · Sep 1, 2015

fordmantpw said:
Another note...I noticed on the Phantom 3 that it will not operate within 15 miles of the White House.

Yeah whatever happened to the idiot that flew one over the White House grounds?.......and he was just an idiot, not a terrorist.

fordmantpw · Sep 1, 2015

oldballs said:
Yeah whatever happened to the idiot that flew one over the White House grounds?.......and he was just an idiot, not a terrorist.

I never heard what happened to him. But yeah, he was definitely an idiot!

IslandTractor · Sep 1, 2015

Garandman said:
Interesting: Independent Drone Repair - SKYLAB BOSTON.COM

Trimble has a number of multirotor and fixed-wing UAV's for surveying. - UX5 | Unmanned Aircraft Systems - Trimble

Part of the privacy concern may just be the novelty. Imagine if cars were invented after TBN.....

Watch some of these drone fail videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuW7Fc2iN8E I have to admit that some of them are just plain funny (but potentially dangerous). You have to watch at least the first minute or so of the Youtube link to see the wedding scene. This one too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSBhAx3QMDA The yoga scene a few seconds in is priceless. Love the anti drone kangaroo and dog too.

Garandman · Sep 1, 2015

IslandTractor said:
The more I think about UAVs, the more I think the operators should be licensed. The FAA should have a relatively simple training program and certification process that everyone with more than a toy drone should comply with. Same as automobiles and private planes and CCW. It's what we should be doing with boats too (most countries do). The idea is not to set up difficult barriers but rather to insure competence, safety and to insure understanding of the rules of the road (air) before permitting flights with machines that are clearly not just toys. Maybe have some type of limit below which no license is required for toys as with motorbikes and row boats but any device that can potentially reach air traffic pathways or highways or city streets etc and anything that can carry a load of more than a few ounces should be operated by someone who has done more to prepare than just hit the "buy it now" button on Amazon. That might not stop terrorists but it would cut down on the bozo (hold my beer) factor that threatens the whole UAV industry.

That's the Massachusetts Liberal tradition: create an expanded government agency full of bureaucrats to decide right from wrong.

It would be VERY easy to jam a drone: easier than shooting one down, though not as satisfying.

IslandTractor · Sep 1, 2015

Garandman said:
That's the Massachusetts Liberal tradition: create an expanded government agency full of bureaucrats to decide right from wrong.

It would be VERY easy to jam a drone: easier than shooting one down, though not as satisfying.

Yeah, I forgot. TeaParty doesn't approve of driver's licenses, mariner's licenses, pilot licenses, restaurant licenses, building permits etc etc. Just dirt roads and cow paths. Davy Crockett for President. Screw gummit.

Industrial Toys · Sep 1, 2015

I'm sure if Clinton was still Pres, the White House would just be swarming with these suckers!

How effective is an air cannon? The type that only fires a blast of air. A neighbourhood bully used to terrorize the rest of the kids with the toy version of one of these in the sixties! They were outlawed shortly after that. Means they must have been GOOD, to be outlawed back then!

Silvic · Sep 1, 2015

MMfrompa said:
He said the news helicopters hate drones with a passion, even if they see the LED's flashing a half mile away and 1000' below them they report it. The reason? they know within a few years the news will have small drones to launch from their office to a scene to shoot live footage and come back for probably a 20k unit instead of a couple million dollar helicopter.

ovrszd said:
I think some of the concern of airline pilots is the same thing you described about news helicopter pilots.

Not really a true statement if you think about it. Their (airlines and the pilots) concerns are not drones taking away their jobs (laughable at this time and technology). Are you willing to get into a 400 person aluminum tube flown by a computer with no pilot. Some are ready and willing but most just don't have the trust of technology yet and will not be anytime in the near future. Think how often you reboot your computer. Airplanes don't just pullover to the side of the road when something goes wrong. That concern is well into the future and is not even a blip on anyone's radar.( No pun intended)

Losing a $5K up to $5M drone in combat is the cost of doing business. Losing 400 passengers in a "drone" accident is not.

The FAA and the airlines concerns with drones is the hazard they present to the aviation community. Remember mass times velocity squared? It is not the speed of the drone, it is the speed of the airliner or other airplane that is the issue. Imagine what would happen to your car if you hit a drone at 70 mph. Now increase that by a LOT!
A 5-20 lbs drone could bring down a 400 passenger airliner if it hit the wrong spot. A $1000 drone could quite easily destroy a $15 M engine even if the airplane is still flyable on the remaining engine. You want to see the flying public go crazy over regulations on drones just wait for it.

If the FAA does not get its act together and restrict and license drone flyers it will happen. 400 feet is fine most of the time but folks have posted they can go higher. What about 400 ft within a 2 mile radius of the airport; is that OK? How many people have a clue how far they are away from an airport? A big education need is out there. Licensing operators is the only solution in the long run. Initially car drivers were unregulated and that changed as the need arose. Yes drones are a lot of fun but they have to be used responsibly and the only way is to ensure education. Unfortunately the only way to ensure education is regulation. Not a big fan of gov't regulations but it has its place when safety is involved.